ACFL Division 1
Tir na nOg 1-21 St. Mary’s Ahoghill 2-18
As the side’s headed to the dressing rooms at half time during this division 1 game between Tir na nOg and Ahoghill there would have been few if any in the crowd who could have predicted what was to come in the second half at Whitehill on Wednesday night.
The men from Cloney had dominated from throw in and they had built up what looked like an insurmountable 1-10 to 0-4 lead, thanks to a goal from Colla McDonnell in the 10th minute.
Tir na nOg looked a beaten side and their cause wasn’t helped when they had a player dismissed at the end of the opening quarter for verbal abuse and all over the field they were being out thought and out fought.
What transpired in the second half was truly remarkable as the home side sprung into life after the visitors had increased their lead with the opening four points of the second half.
Sean Duffin hit a magnificent 2 pointer and Josh Higgins and Barry McCormick added 2 more, McCormick’s second a 2 pointer and suddenly the Whitehill support came to life as they urged their side to even greater efforts and slowly they began to reel in the Ahoghill lead.
When the excellent McCormick converted a 29th minute free the comeback of all comebacks looked to have been completed but there would be one more decisive twist in this intriguing contest.
As the clock ticked down the Cloney men forced a turnover about 30 yards from goal with the ball fed to Neil ‘Boris’ O’Connell and he passed first time along the ground to Colla McDonnell who gathered and fired past Aodhan Tolan to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
The opening exchanges saw the visitors take control and Martin Graham, Noel Crossey 0-2 and Ronan Graham shot them into a four point lead.
Tir na nOg replied through Sean Duffin and Aaron McNeilly but Colla McDonnell raced through the home defence to fire home the game’s opening goal in the 10th minute.
Tir na nOg were second best all over the field and would add only two further points from Emmet Murray and Eamon Og McAllister with the dominant visitors adding points from James O’Connell 0-2, Colla McDonnell 0-2, Conor Crossey 0-2 and Patrick Graham to lead 1-10 to 0-4 at the interval.
When Ahoghill increased that lead through Ronan Graham, James O’Connell and the excellent Colla McDonnell on the restart it looked well and truly over but, as they say, it’s never over until the fat lady sings.
Sean Duffin ignited the game with an excellent two pointer as Tir na nOg took over and they added four 2 pointers and when Ciaran O’Neill took advantage of a mistake in the Ahoghill defence to fire to the net, they led by 1-17 to 1-16 with 8 minutes remaining.
Sean Duffin, Eamon Og McAllister and Barry McCormick added points in response to points from James and Neil O’Connell and the Whitehill side looked to have secured two value league points
Colla McDonnell turned the game on its head however with that late finish at the other end to silence the large Randalstown support and the points were on their way back to Ahoghill as St. Mary’s secured their second win of the season.
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