SFC Group 2 – Round One
Naomh Éanna 2-18 Naomh Eoin 0-24
A late pointed free from Niall O’Connor earned St. Enda’s a share of the points in this SHC Group 2 opener at Hightown on Sunday afternoon.
The Glengormley side went into this one as outsiders following a league campaign where the Johnnies had performed much better and given the fact that the visitors had recorded a 9 point victory over the same opposition in last year’s quarter-final
St. John’s had performed admirably in the league this season and were right in the running until the final two fixtures where a defeat to Rossa at Corrigan Park ended their hopes of a league title.
The early exchanges at Hightown were fairly even as Conor Hanna and Shea Shannon pointed for the Corrigan Park side before Niall O’Connor and Eoin Conlon replied for the home side to level matters with five minutes gone.
O’Connor was in splendid form for the hosts and was causing the visitors all sorts of problems and he added his third point in as many minutes with 13th minutes gone.
At the midway point of the half the momentum was very much with the Hightown side as O’Connor continued to provide problems for the St. John’s defence as he got in for the game’s opening goal.
Shea Shannon replied with two points for the Whiterock side in answer to a point from the dangerous O’Connor who continued to call the shots as he added another point in response to points from Odhran Carleton and Conor Johnston.
With ten minutes remaining in the half, Ruairi Donaghy and Conor Johnston swapped scores before an excellent catch and a great long ranged effort from Eoin Conlon for St Enda’s and another from O’Connor left his side three points clear.
Conor Johnston replied for the Johnnies who finally came to life in the closing stages of the half and Oisin McManus struck a hat-trick of points, two from placed balls, earning his side a one point advantage as the half time whistle sounded.
Niall O’Connor levelled the contest on the restart with a fine point from distance to take his personal contribution for the evening to 1-6 as the intensity of the contest moved up another notch.
O’Connor added another massive effort from inside his own half as the St. Enda’s faithful roared their approval but Shea Shannon and Ruairi Galbraith replied for St. John’s before Joe Maskey pointed for the home side to level the game once more.
The Hightown side then struck what looked like a decisive blow when Luke O’Connor reacted quickest in a goalmouth scramble to dispatch his effort low to the St John’s net.
Back came the Whiterock Road men as O’Connor and McManus exchanged points with Galbraith and Shannon responding to another point from the St. Enda’s marksman and it looked like this one was going right down to the wire.
The tension was palatable as the Johnnies led by two points on the 59th minute but indiscipline caused them dearly with two of their players seeing red.
Niall O’Connor punished these lapses as he kept his cool to level the matters with the final poc of the game.
St. Enda’s: N McGivern, R Eager, D Maguire, C McAllister, E Conlon 0-2, J Maskey 0-1, C Jennings, O Ó Cuinn, E O’Connor, M McGribbon, K Jennings, N O’Connor 1-10 (0-7f), L O’Connor 1-0, M Mullan, R Donaghy 0-5 (0-3F)
SUBS: M Curran, O Kennedy, R Gillen, O Breen, E Maguire, C Cormican, C McAllister
St. John’s: D Nugent, R Donnelly, C Johnston, O Carleton, R McNulty, C Morgan, E McGurk, S Wilson, S Shannon, D McGuinness, C Johnston, M Dudley, R Galbraith, O McManus, A Bradley
SUBS: M Bradley, S Donnelly, P McCallion, A Donnelly, L Heenan, D McKeogh, J Wilson, C Hanna
TO SEE MORE PICS FROM THIS GAME BY JJ LAWELL CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
https://myalbum.com/album/FPMb5TaTMPsy4X/?invite=a619f6a4-43dd-4867-a030-7697d3d7e851