ACHL Division 1
St. John’s 4-15 Loughgiel 2-21
A James McNaughton inspired Loughgiel finished strongly to gain a point from this excellent ACHL Division 1 encounter against St. John’s at Corrigan Park on Wednesday evening.
Trailing by four, Antrim county star McNaughton struck with his second goal of the game in the 33d minute to close the gap to the minimum and followed with a point from a 34th minute free to give the visitors a draw which on the balance of play they just about deserved.
It was the visitors who made the early running with Christy McGarry and James McNaughton sending them into an early two point lead before Oisin McManus got the ‘Johnnies’ on the score card when he pointed a free in the 4th minute.
The visiting Shamrocks continued to set the early pace as Ryan McKee from distance, Rory McCloskey and Paul Boyle moved them four ahead with only seven minutes on the clock.
League leaders, St. John’s raised their second white flag when free taker McVicker pointed his second of the contest and when Ruairi Galbraith got on the end of a good move to finish to the net they were ahead for the first time.
Shea Shannon and Dannan McKeogh added further points for the Corrigan side before Sean Wilson limped out of the contest to be replaced by Caoimhin Hanna.
Loughgiel were right back in the contest as James McNaughton struck with his side’s opening goal in the 15th minute and Domhnall Nugent in the St. John’s goals pulled off a fine save as the visitors threatened for a second.
Shea Shannon and Declan McCloskey exchanged points and Oisin McManus and Paul Boyle for the visitors exchange further minors before McManus scored a good goal for the team in blue to bring them right back into contention.
The excellent James McNaughton added two late pointed free for the Shamrocks and Ryan McKee added another long range effort from play with Ruairi Galbraith’s reply for the home side leaving it all square at the break.
It was the turn of John Francis Connolly in the Shamrock’s goals to come to his side’s rescue on the restart before Caolan Blair replaced Ruairi McCormick in the visitors defence.
James McNaughton moved Loughgiel ahead from a free in the opening minute but St. John’s began to exert their control on matters and Shea Shannon and a couple of fine points from Oisin McManus had them two ahead after 7 minutes.
Shannon increased that lead to three from a 10th minute free as Eoin McGarry replaced Darragh Patterson in the visitor’s defence and McNaughton (f), Eoin McGarry and McNaughton from another free had it all square again with 13 minutes gone.
Both keepers had to be on their toes as play swung from end to end as Oisin McVicker for the Johnnies and Ryan McKee from a long range effort for Loughgiel exchanged points and it was clear this one was going to go down to the wire.
Jack McCloskey edged the Shamrocks ahead again and McNaughton fired over from deep to edge the visitors ahead again but once again the Whiterock men found a response as substitute Lorca Heenan finished to the net with virtually his first touck.
The intensity of the game continued to grow with Rian McMullan and James McNaughton adding to the Loughgiel total and Michael Bradley and Patrick Laverty exchanging further points.
A goal from Donall Carson in the 27th minute and points from Michael Bradley (0-2) moved the home side four ahead and looked to have sealed it for St. Johns as the game crept into time added on.
The men in red quite simply refused to concede defeat however and it was that man McNaughton who became their hero when he drove a close range free to the net before following with a late pointed free to leave it all square at the end.
St. John’s: 1 Domhnall Nugent, 2 Ronan Donnelly, 3 Conall Morgan, 4 Jack Bohill, 5 Daragh McGuinness, 6 Ryan McNulty, 7 Enda McGurk, 8 Sean Wilson, 9 Shea Shannon, 10 Aaron Bradley, 11 Michial Dudley, 12 Dannan McKeogh, 13 Donall Carson, 14 Oisin McManus, 15 Ruairi Galbraith.
Subs: 16 Conor Flannery, 17 Michael Bradley, 18 Caoimhin Hanna, 19 Michael Darragh, 20 21 Lorcan Heenan
Loughgiel: 1 John Francis Connolly, 2 Ben McGarry, 3 Enda Og McGarry, 4 Ruairi McCormick, 5 Declan McCloskey, 6 Rory McCloskey, 7 Conall McCloskey, 8 Ryan McKee, 9 Darragh Patterson, 10 Rian McMullan, 11 Christy McGarry, 12 James McNaughton, 13 Daniel McCloskey, 14 Paul Boyle, 15 Jack McCloskey
Subs: 17 Caolan Blair, 20 Eoin McGarry, 18 Patrick Laverty
Referee: Colm McDonald
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