O’Neills ACFL Division One 

All-Saints Ballymena 1-15-1-14 Lámh Dhearg 

Kevin Herron reports from Quinn Park 

All Saint’s held off a late Lámh Dhearg rally to claim a 1-15-1-14 win and make it four wins from their first five. 

The hosts were off the mark inside the opening minute as Patrick Ferris guided a shot inside the large posts, but Niall McGarry hit back instantly. 

Lámh Dhearg raced into a three-point lead as Ryan Murray converted a free and Declan Lynch and Terry McCrudden followed up with points from play. 

McCrudden swept a shot inches wide of the post and the crossbar denied him a second time a moment later. 

Instead, All Saints closed the gap through James McDonnell’s point and a high angled shot from Connell Lemon that sneaked inside the posts. 

Ryan Murray opened his account from play and then dropped a superb two-pointer over the bar to give his side a 0-7-0-3 lead. 

The hosts were guilty of lacking composure in the opening half but Sean McVeigh converted a free and McDonnell doubled his tally. 

On the 25th minute the game’s opening goal arrived, Paddy McAleer carried the ball forward and cut in along the by-line before slipping the ball to Sean McVeigh for a simple palm to the net to give his side a 1-5-0-7 lead. 

McAleer would extend his side’s lead from a converted free as All-Saints held a slender advantage at the interval. 

Parity was restored inside the opening 60-seconds of the restart as Calum Fegan-Lappin landed a delightful two-pointed score. 

Back-to-back Connell Lemon points had the Saint’s ahead again and James McDonnell kicked his third point of the evening in the aftermath. 

Kavan Keenan then drove forward and unleashed a two-pointed shot that sailed over, with a further Ronan McKillop point opening up a 1-12-0-9 lead. 

Lámh Dhearg steadied themselves with McCrudden kicking his second score of the evening, substitute Mark Finnegan converted a free and Evan Stanley swung over a magnificent point. 

Three-unanswered scores in response saw All-Saints re-establish their six-point advantage going down the home straight. 

Conor Stewart steered a shot over, Ronan McKillop angled a shot between the sticks and Paddy McAleer doubled his account from the placed ball to move the hosts into a commanding 1-15-0-12 lead. 

Quickfire points from Mark Finnegan and Ben Rice gave the visitors renewed hope, but Calum Fegan-Lappin saw red in the closing stages and any potential comeback would need to be completed with a numerical disadvantage. 

Deep into added time Colm McDonald awarded Lámh Dhearg a penalty that was initially kept out by Connor Brennan in the All-Saint’s goal, however Mark Finnegan’s rebounded goal was the last action of the evening as the hosts held out for a narrow win at Quinn Park.

All-Saints: C Brennan, M Downey, K Keenan (1×0-2), C O’Brien, P Ferris (0-1), S O’Callaghan, J McDonnell (0-3), E Killough, C Stewart (0-1), C Lemon (0-3), P McAleer (0-2f), B McDonnell, C Campbell, S McVeigh (1-1, 0-1f), R McKillop (0-2). 

Lámh Dhearg: G Smyth, Ross Murray, P Mervyn, M McGarry, B Rice (0-1), D Lynch (0-1), D Martin, P Fitzsimons, M Jordan, C Fegan-Lappin (1×0-2), R Murray (0-4, 0-1f, 1×0-2), C Boyd, N McGarry (0-1), T McCrudden (0-2), A Murray. Subs: F Mervyn for M McGarry (28), E Stanley (0-1) for C Boyd (HT), M Finnegan (1-2, 0-1f) for P Fitzsimons (41), R Diamond for N McGarry (41), S McCarthy for A Murray (50). 
Referee: Colm McDonald (St Galls)