ACFL Division 2
St Patrick’s, Lisburn 0-12 St Teresa’s 1-11
Pics: Martin Brunty
A goal from Neil McCann in the 12th minute was the score that would prove the difference when St. Teresa’s travelled to Lisburn on Wednesday night and recorded a two point win over previously high riding Naomh Padraig at Kirkwood Park.
The West Belfast men took an early lead and maintained it throughout but the Lisburn side continued to press them hard throughout in what was a well-contested encounter.
St Teresa’s settled immediately and recycled the ball until Eoghan Hamill injected a bit of pace to get free and fist over.
Darren McCann then rose to help John Mallon’s dropping shot over, but both teams were guilty of some misses in the early stages.
However, St Teresa’s were looking that bit more threatening and this was exemplified in the 12th minute as Mallon put Niall McCann in to crash to the net.
St Patrick’s finally opened their account when goalkeeper Ruadhan McKenna came up to convert a two-point free before Mallon and Jude Rafferty traded further minors.
St. Teresas were starting to get on top and moved further ahead when Mallon curled over superbly from outside the mark for a 2 pointer with Conor Mallon adding one soon after before Oisin Gorman replied from a free, but Pierce O Rawe replied to restore the six-point lead for St Teresa’s with 25 minutes gone.
Naomh Padraig finished the half strongly however as Oisin Gorman kicked his second free with Adam Patterson following from play, while in added time, McKenna came forward again to convert another long-range free to cut the St. Teresa’s lead to two at the break.
Both sides missed opportunities at the start of the second half with the cross-field breeze making scoring difficult but Naomh Padraig looked to be in for a goal that would have edged them ahead but Gorman’s attempt rebounded of the bottom of the post.
The visitors replied immediately through Eoghan Hamill who pointed at the other end before Jude Rafferty hit back and the sides traded again through Conor O’Rawe and a Gorman free as the gap remained at two.
Gorman continued to provide a threat for the Kirkwood Park side and he came close again to finding the net but this time it was St Teresa’s goalkeeper Mark Small who would deny him before Rafferty floated over his third of the evening in the 53rd minute and the gap was down to one.
With five to play, the frame of the goal would again come to the visitors’ rescue as substitute Conuir Ewing’s firmly struck effort rebounded of the crossbar and it looked like it wasn’t going to be Naomh Padraig’s day.
St Teresa’s gave themselves a bit of breathing space late on as Darren McCann advanced to score and then Conor O’Rawe swapped passes to put a goal between them.
The last score would fall to Oisin Gorman who closed the gap to two with a fine point but that would be as close as the home team got with the visitors defence holding firm in the closing stages to earn their side two valuable points.
Naomh Padraig: R McKenna (0-4, 2xtpf); L Mulholland, Jack McMullan, JBroderick; Josh McMullan, B McMullan, S Burns; B McGirr, C Smyth; R Kennedy, O Gorman (0-4, 4f), C Burns; J Rafferty (0-3), A Patterson (0-1), E Dixon.
Subs: R Smyth for C Smyth (HT), C Ewing for E Dixon (58)
St. Teresas: M Small; P Johnston, C McGoldrick, A Dugan; C Mallon (0-1), E Connolly, C O’Rawe (0-2); D McCann (0-2), P O’Rawe (0-1); J Mallon (0-3, 1xtp, 1f), S Maguire, E Hamill (0-2); P McGoldrick, N McCann (1-0), A Taylor.
Subs: P Glennon for P Johnston (34), M Mallon for A Taylor (59), F Dugan for P McGoldrick (60+1).
Referee: Sean Elliott
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