ACFL Division 1
St. Mary’s Ahoghill 2-14 St. Paul’s 1-13
St. Mary’s Ahoghill eased away from the relegation zone with this hard earned but deserved win over visitors, St. Paul’s in a well contested division 1 clash at Cloney on Wednesday night.
Despite facing the breeze it was visitors, St. Paul’s who were first on the scoreboard with Niall McStravick and Caoimhin Duffy kicking them into a 2 point lead by the 10th minute.
The hosts hit the front at the end of the opening quarter through Dan O’Neill (2pt) and a Noel Crossey 2 pointer and as they began to get on top St. Paul’s keeper, Jack McAufield pulled of a couple of important saves to deny Patrick Graham and Conor Crossey.
Patrick Graham briefly edged the home side 3 ahead but the visitors responded through Niall McStravick to leave just two in it with 21 minutes gone.
The Shaw’s Road side were giving as good as they got and Patrick Crawford closed the gap to one with a point in the 25th minute.
It was the Cloney side who finished the half strongly however as Dan O’Neill (2pt), Jimmy O’Connell, Patrick Graham and Diarmaid Graham added vital points with St. Paul’s only reply coming from Niall McStravick to leave it 0-10 to 0-5 in favour of St. Mary’s at the break
Playing into the breeze in the second half, it was Dan O’Neill who got Ahoghill of to a great start as he calmly finished just inside of the post to move his side 8 ahead with only 2 minutes of the new half gone.
The visitors replied with an excellent 2 pointer from Ciaran Duffin and the same player added another from inside the 40 meter line to close the gap to five once more and it was clear this one was far from over.
James O’Connell replied with another 2 pointer for St. Mary’s with Lorcan Phillips responding immediately with a point at the other end but it was the Cloney side’s ability to raise the orange flag that was proving the distance and Crossey struck another fine effort from distance.
S.Paul’s were handed an to get themselves right back into contention when they were awarded a penalty but Aiden Graham pulled off another vital save and the ball was moved swiftly up the field Jimmy O’Connell got on the end of a great team move to fire below McAufield.
That goal looked to have put the contest out of reach of the visitors but it would be St. Mary’s last score and Donagh Finnegan’s side refused to give up and staged a storming finish which would come up just short in the end.
Conall Duffy pointed and Patrick Crawford followed with a fine double and when Duffy finally found a way past the impressive Aiden Graham in the Cloney nets the gap was down to six with 7 minutes still remaining.
The visitors pressed hard in the closing stages but a point from Patrick Crawford was as close as they would get as the home defence shut up shot to collect the points and see them climb to 12th in the table.
Nothing has been decided by this win and only 2 points separate the bottom six with Aghagallon one point further up the table following their draw with Tir na nOg at Parc Na nGael