Antrim Football League Division 1
Glenravel 2-14 Rossa 1-15
Glenravel edged home ahead in this keenly contested ACFL Div1 game on Wednesday evening at Fr Maginn Park, but the home supporters were biting their nails towards the end as Rossa reduced a six point deficit to only two when their county stars Michael Byrne and Domenic McEnhill converted two, 2-pointers within a minute in injury time to get within a single score from victory. It wasn’t to be in the end but the visitors came mighty close to upsetting the home side’s evening.
After Antrim’s Ulster Championship exit at the weekend the two sides welcomed back their county players in search of much needed league points. Glenravel opened brightly with well taken points from Ryan McQuillan and Rian Lennon but Rossa came back a minute later with a goal from Corey Walsh. Ryan McQuillan restored the home side’s lead with a lovely 2-pointer but the sides were back level again as Michael McEnhill tapped over for the Belfast men. Niall Hynds, who had an impressive hour’s football, nudged Glenravel ahead once more but again the sides were level as Eoghan McMenamin was starting to exert his influence on the game. The see-saw scores continued right up to the break with the home side’s scores coming from Ryan McQuillan and a couple from Joe Martin whilst Rossa replied through McMenamin and a couple of points from Dominic McEnhill leaving honours even at the interval. The opening half was a very balanced affair with the sides level on four different occasions but Rossa will have been slightly disappointed at squandering at least half a dozen chances that cost them dearly in the end.
The second half opened with a point from Glenravel’s Sean McKay but that was followed by a six minute spell when Rossa started turning the heat up on the home side. Johnny Fyfe in Glenravel’s nets brought off a great save as Diarmuid Rogan looked odds on to score as he fired from close range but Fyfe was equal to it. In the following five minutes Rossa notched up four points to take a three point lead. Keeper Michael Byrne popped over a free and that was followed by two points from Oisin McVicker and a point from Corey Walsh to leave the Belfast men ahead by three. A fine 2-pointer from Ryan McQuillan reduced the gap to the minimum but Domenic McEnhill doubled that gap as we entered the final quarter with Rossa ahead by a couple of points. Both teams were looking to their bench at this stage and the introduction of Declan Traynor certainly paid dividends when he found the roof of the net after Rossa’s full back Gavin McGrath lost his footing as he went in to block the kick. Ryan McQuillan pointed and then Glenravel pressure on the opposition as they tried to get out led to a lovely turnover from substitute Harry Fyfe and two passes later Ryan McQuillan netted to leave the home side ahead by five points 2-12 to 1-10. Oisin McVicker reduced that to four points but again up stepped McQuillan with points off his left and right foot to leave the home side ahead by six points with four minutes left on the clock. However late drama was to follow in injury time as Michael Byrne from a free and Domenic McEnhill from close to the left hand sideline converted two by 2-pointers to leave only two between the teams as Rossa tried to grab victory from the face of defeat. The home side held their nerve in the end to get over the line ahead 2-14 to 1-15 and breathe a collective sigh of relief.
TO SEE MORE OF DYLAN’S PHOTOS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW