IFC Group 1
St. Enda’s 4-10 Moneyglass 1-19
Paul Duffin became the St. Ergnat’s hero when his point in the 61st minute earned his side a draw in this keenly contested IFC Group 1 encounter at Hightown on Sunday afternoon.
In a game of changing fortunes where both sides enjoyed periods of supremacy it was the home side who looked to have gained their second win in three outings when a Michael McKenna point edged them in front with time almost up.
The visitors won possession from the resulting kick-out and Duffin moved forward from his centre-half birth to guide the ball between the uprights much to the delight of the travelling support.
It was St. Enda’s who enjoyed the better of the opening stages with Stephen O’Connor leading the way and the big number 11 opened the scoring with a point after 30 seconds and he went on to hit 1-3 with only 6 minutes on the clock.
In between a Seanchan Duffin point was all that Moneyglass could manage but gradually they got up to the pace of the game, their first for nearly three weeks and Colm Duffin scored 0-3 on the bounce to close the gap to 2 by the 13th minute.
Corner back, Zac Kyle came forward to increase that lead to 4 and when Sean Murray and Conor Eastwood added two quick fire goals in the 15th and 18th minutes things had again swung decisively the way of the Glengormley side.
Once again St. Ergtnat’s picked themselves up of the canvas as Sean Boyd and Colm Duffin pointed and a Boyd goal in the 23d minute put his side right back into contention.
Sean Boyd and Callum Murray added late points as the St. Enda’s scores dried up and by half time the gap was down to 2 and we looked like we had a game on our hands.
The two Sean’s, Murray for St. Enda’s and Boyd for Moneyglass exchanged early second half points but a Mickey Morgan Point and a goal from a Stephen O’Connor penalty looked to have put Naomh Eanna back in a commanding position with only 8 minutes of the new half gone.
Colm Duffin pulled one back for the visitors but a Sean McBride point in the 12th minute restored the home side’s advantage and the visitors again looked in trouble.
They dug deep however as their renowned fighting spirit came to the fore with ace marksman, Colm Duffin getting them going again with a well struck 2 pointer.
This score appeared to galvanise those around him as Tyler Cassidy, Colm Duffin 0-2 and an Aiden McErlain 2 pointer saw them hit the front again by the 24th minute but this excellent contest was far from over.
Indeed, as the pendulum swung back in favour of St Enda’s it was Sean McBride, Stephen O’Connor and Michael McKenna, with a late point that looked to have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
However the visitors staged one final rally and it was Paul Duffin who finished confidently to snatch the draw that keeps them firmly in the race for a place in the semi-finals.
St. Ergnat’s have 3 points from 2 starts, a point behind Sarsfield’s who have 4 points but have played a game more.
St. Enda’s have 3 points from three starts and will be hoping that the teams above them slip up in their final fixtures with Moneyglass at home to Naomh Padraig Lisburn and away to Rasharkin while Sarsfield’s travel to Naomh Padraig in their final game.
St. Enda’s final fixture is away to Rasharkin on the 30th August and if they win that one then they will have to wait until the 24th September when Sarsfield’s and St. Ergnat’s have completed their programmes to know their fate.
