O’Neills ACFL Division One
St Johns 1-18-3-12 Lámh Dhearg
Kevin Herron reports from Corrigan Park
CONOR HAND touched home an injury time goal that could be vital for St Johns come the end of the regulation league season as the Whiterock outfit battled back from seven-points behind to claim a 1-18-3-12 draw with Lámh Dhearg at Corrigan Park on Wednesday evening.
Ahead through two points within the first sixty seconds as Ronan Quinn charged forward and popped over the opener, Conal McGlade then got his hand to the resulting kick-out and after a string of forward passes Odhran Quinn doubled his sides lead.
Lámh Dhearg hit back through a smart Adam Murray point and Murray doubled his tally from a placed ball a few minutes later.
The Johnnies were caught for a 2-man infringement and Murray slotted over the close range 50-metre advancement, with Ross Murray collecting a fine pass inside and adding to a point to make it four unanswered for the Hannahstown outfit.
After going almost ten scoreless minutes Paddy McBride opened his account for the evening from a free and less than a minute later kicked a further score from the same scenario to level.
Conal McGlade shot his side ahead for the second time with an excellent two-pointed score from the edge of the arc to make it 0-6-0-4
The pendulum swung back in the Lámhs favour and they would 1-5 unanswered approaching the break.
Adam Murray added his personal tally for the evening from a free, Declan Smyth then steered a high shot between the posts to level for the third time. Murray stroked over his fourth free of the half and Donal Martin then opened his account.
On the stroke of half time Conor Murray entered proceedings and he would play a role in the opening goal, gaining possession and offloading a high shot that came off the large post with Ryan Diamond reacting quickest to slot the loose ball underneath Eoghan Rua Lambert to make it 1-8-0-6.
A further point from Marc Jordan had his side six-ahead, but their lead would be halved before the break after Odhran Quinn landed a fine two-pointer and youngster Odhran McAuley produced a fine angled score to make it 1-9-0-9 at the interval.
St Johns began the second half brightly and overturned their three-point deficit. Conal McGlade kicked back-to-back frees and after missing a further opportunity, Paddy McBride assumed responsibility for the next chance and pulled his side level.
The Whiterock side hit the front after Odhran Quinn curled a shot between the posts, but their advantage lasted a few minutes as Lámh Dhearg got up and running for the half.
After almost 15-minutes without a score the visitors regained the lead again. Evan Stanley got to Gerard Smith’s kick-out and laid the ball off to Sean McCarthy, he in turn found Ryan Diamond to pick out Adam Murray whose low shot found the bottom corner of the net to make it 2-9-0-13.
Evan Stanley clipped over an angled point and things soon got better when Marc Jordan charged through and shot home a third goal, with Declan Smyth’s attempt to land a two-pointer in the aftermath halved after James Wilson got a finger-tip to the shot – nonetheless, Lámh Dhearg were seemingly on route to victory with a 3-11-0-13 lead.
St Johns introduced Conor Hand for the final quarter which coincided with an upturn in fortunes.
Scores were traded between Conal McGlade (free) and Donal Martin- the latter of which was Lámh Dhearg’s last of the evening.
Paddy McBride and Odhran Quinn pointed within minutes to begin the hosts comeback, whilst there was a let off at the other end when Adam Murray’s snapshot came back off the post.
At the other end McBride saw a shot deflected behind for a 45’ and Andy McGowan was next to point, fisting over after a deep McBride run and floated pass.
The Johnnies continued to push for a goal with Conor Hand seeing a close-range shot blocked by Paddy Mervyn and after a 45’ was awarded they went close again, Conal McGlade clipped the 45’ into the area where Hand again gathered and his shot was steered off the line by Sean Paul Gibson.
Adrian Oliver pointed deep into added time to leave it a three-point game and there was still time for St Johns to salvage a share of the spoils.
The opportunity appeared to have passed when Andy McGowan shot crashed off the large post, but Paddy McBride collected the loose ball, popped a high ball into the area and Hand touched it home to secure a share of the points with the final action of an exciting encounter.
ST JOHNS: E Rua Lambert, O Jackson, E McGurk, D McKeogh, C McEvoy, R Quinn (0-1), J Wilson, P Nugent, R Donnelly, O McAuley (0-1), P McBride (0-4, 0-3f), S Tierney, C McGlade (0-5, 1×0-2pt, 0-3f), A McGowan (0-1), O Quinn (0-5, 1×0-2pt). Subs: C Hand (1-0) for S Tierney (47), A Oliver (0-1) for R Donnelly (47).
LÁMH DHEARG: G Smyth, Ross Murray (0-1), P Mervyn, D Murray, G Smyth (0-2), B Rice, E Matassa, C Boyd, P Fitzsimons, R Diamond (1-0), O McKeown , D Bellew, D Martin (0-2), M Jordan (1-1), A Murray (1-5, 0-4f). Subs: C Murray for O McKeown (30+1), E Stanley (0-1) for C Boyd (42), S McCarthy for D Bellew (42), J Quinn for P Fitzsimons (53), SP GIbson for R Murray (54).
REFEREE: Mark O’Neill (Armoy)