OB Construction Antrim Intermediate Football Championship, Group 1 

St Pat’s Lisburn 3-10-1-13 Rasharkin 

Kevin Herron reports from Kirkwoods Park 

ST PAT’S LISBURN  survived a late Rasharkin fightback as they bounced back from their narrow defeat to St Enda’s in midweek with a 3-10-1-13 victory over the Dreen at Kirkwoods Park on Saturday evening. 

The hosts knew there was little more margin for error following their 0-13-0-11 defeat at Hightown if they were to challenge for a top-two position come the group’s conclusion. 

Rasharkin came in fresh to proceedings after having a bye in midweek and they began brightly in Lisburn. 

Donagh Quigg robbed Eoin Dixon of possession, drove forward and steered over the opening score before Oran McMullan quickly doubled his side’s advantage. 

It took 11 minutes for the hosts to register through a fisted Brendan McGarr point, but they restored parity quickly as McGarr fed James Morgan to shoot the equaliser approaching the midway point in the first half. 

The sides would trade further points, Rasharkin edged ahead again through a converted Oisin Casey free, cancelled out at the other end by an outstanding Colm Burns score. 

St Pat’s forged ahead for the first time in the 22nd minute when Ben McMullan shot over from just inside the arc and 60-seconds later they extended their lead with the games opening goal following a surging Colm Burns run that concluded with him floating a shot to net to open up a 1-4-0-3 lead. 

On the stroke of half time, Oisin Casey kicked his second free of the half to ensure Burns’ goal was the difference at the interval. 

The hosts extended their lead within a minute of the restart when Jude Rafferty took a pass from Rudi Smyth and shot inside the posts, but Casey responded with a free from a tight angle. 

A fantastic Adam Patterson point stretched the lead to four again- though that deficit was halved as Casey kicked a two-pointed free after the ball was moved forward for dissent. 

It was a single point game by the 40th minute after Eamonn McNeill guided a curling shot inside the near post. 

Successive points at the other end halted Rasharkin’s momentum, Ben McMullan’s high shot dropped over and a close-range Rudi Smyth free had Lisburn 1-8-0-8 ahead. 

Again the sides cancelled each other out with McMullan fisting over his third point of the night in response to a marvellous Thomas Hasson point that had reduced arrears. 

A fifth Casey free of proceedings cut the gap again with little under a quarter of an hour remaining, but St Pat’s looked to have pulled away with two goals in a four minute spell. 

Luca Mulholland collected a popped pass and rocketed a shot into the top of the net and four minutes later Eoin Dixon took a pass from Colm Burns and clipped the ball over advancing keeper Tiernan O’Boyle to make it 3-9-0-10. 

Dixon added a point a few minutes after his goal and with 56 minutes on the clock the hosts appeared to be safe. 

However, to their credit Rashakin rallied in the closing stages, first when Eamonn McNeill steered over from outside the arc and then Casey added a free to half arrears by a third. 

Then two minutes into added time St Pat’s were unable to clear their lines under intense pressure and Oisin Casey sent a low shot past Ruadhan McKenna at his near post to set up a grandstand finish and make it 3-10-1-13. 

Their comeback failed to gather any further momentum though as the hosts hung on at the conclusion to bounce back from their midweek disappointment and give themselves hope of a top-two finish come the end of the group stage. 

ST PATRICK’S LISBURN: R McKenna, L Mulholland (1-0), T Burns, J McMullan, B McMullan (0-3), C Smyth, B McGarr (0-1), A Patterson (0-1), C Burns (1-1), C Ewing, J Morgan (0-1), J Rafferty (0-1), R Smyth (0-1f), E Dixon (1-1). SUBS: A Thompson for J Rafferty (50), C Doran for C Ewing (57). 

RASHARKIN: T O’Boyle, D McGurk, C Higgins, P McTauge, C Kennedy, F Quigg, T Hasson (0-1), C McMullan, J Quinn, D Quigg (0-1), O Casey (1-7, 1×0-2ptf, 0-5f), O McMullan (0-1), K O’Boyle, E McNeill (0-3, 1×0-2pt), C McGarrell. SUBS: L Quigg for C McGarrell (47). 

REFEREE: Sean Elliott (LÁMH DHEARG)