ACFL Division 1 

St Pauls 3-13-1-14 Con Magees 

Kevin Herron reports from Pairc Naomh Pól 

ST PAUL’s made it two wins from their first three league games with a hard fought 3-13-1-14 victory over 14-man Con Magee’s in an entertaining Easter Sunday clash on the Shaws Road. 

Playing a strong breeze that was blowing towards the Shaws Road the hosts made the breakthrough through Lorcan Philips two-pointed shot from range after Niall McKenna’s lay-off. 

Con Magee;s got off the mark following Rian Lennon’s free that dropped short and was helped over the bar by Sean Og O’Neill. 

Midway through the half the visitors hit the front with the games opening goal, Harry Fyfe floated a pass across the face of goal to the back post where Fergus Donaghy was primed and palmed the ball to the net. 

Their lead lasted a mere 60-seconds though as St Pauls replied with a goal of their own. Conleth O’Loan’s kick-out failed to lift in the breeze and was gobbled up by Ciaran Ó Dufaigh who in turn slipped in Caoimhin Duffy to round O’Loan and slot to the net making it 1-2-1-1. 

An angled Aidan O’Donnell free restored parity briefly before Shea Burns clipped over to restore his side’s lead and Ó Dufaigh doubled his tally from a close range free. 

The hosts made the use of their wind advantage and surged ahead with successive two-pointed scores from play courtesy of Ciaran Ó Dufaigh. 

Con Magee’s were dealt a huge blow when they were reduced to 14-men, Declan McAuley seeing the line for two bookable offences in quick succession. 

They did see the half out with a two-pointed free converted by Rian Lennon to ensure they trailed 1-8-1-4 at the interval, despite being a man down they did have the wind advantage to look forward to after the break. 

It didn’t take the visitors long to force their first two-pointed score courtesy of the breeze as an angled O’Donnell shot from outside the arc was pushed over the bar. 

St Pauls looked to have taken a huge grip on proceedings with two-goals inside of 60-seconds in the early stages of the half. 

In the 34th minute Shea Burns popped the ball across and Ciaran Ó Dufaigh touched the ball home, then James Farrell slammed home a second goal shortly afterwards to make it 3-8-1-6. 

Rian Lennon converted his second free of the afternoon and a quickfire point from Harry Fyfe was the perfect response from the visitors who would narrow the deficit further through a two-pointed Aidan O’Donnell free. 

O’Donnell added another conversion- this time a free from within the arc- nonetheless they moved to within three-points of St Pauls. 

With little under a quarter of an hour remaining O’Donnell landed his third two-pointed score of the half and second from the placed ball to ensure the bare minimum separated the sides (3-8-1-13). 

Without a score since their 35th minute strike through James Farrell, the Shaws Road side eventually conjured a much needed score through Mark Munce and a further two points followed through Caoimhin Duffy and Ó Dufaigh with a second close range free of the afternoon that gave them a four-point cushion heading into injury time. 

There was plenty of time for further drama in time added on, Con Magee’s substitute Sean Paul McKenna was denied a goal with a great block at the near post by St Pauls keeper Jack McAufield. 

McKenna fisted over to reduce arrears but back-to-back points from Lorcan Philips in the closing stages ensured his side would see the game out as St Pauls made it two wins from their first three league encounters. 

ST PAULS: J McAufield, A Kavanagh, E McGreevy, M Duffy, C Burke, C Trainor, N McKenna, J Farrell (1-0), M Munce (0-1), C Killyleagh, Conall Duffy, L Philips (0-4, 1×0-2pt), Caoimhin Duffy (1-1), S Burns (0-1), C Ó Dufaigh (1-7, 2×0-2pt, 0-2f). SUBS: C Finnegan for C Burke (330, B McMorrow for S Burns (36), C Hughes for Conall Duffy (43), D Quinn for N McKenna (56), N McStravick for C Killyleagh (56). 

CON MAGEES: C O’Loan, N Dickson, S Higgins, E McCusker, D McAuley, N Swann, R Lennon (0-3f, 1×0-2ptf), D McQuillan, C McQuillan, J Martin, A O’Donnell (0-7, 0-5f, 2×0-2pft), F Donaghy (1-0), S Og O’Neill (0-1), H Fyfe (0-1), D Higgins. SUBS: SP McKenna (0-1) for F Donaghy (51), L McQuillan for J Martin (58). 

REFEREE: Ritchie Leahy (ST ERGNAT’S, MONEYGLASS)

More photos can be found at https://myalbum.com/album/37BMbU7SYSBBCY