Above – Declan Barr celebrates after his goal sealed the Sarsfields win

Antrim ACFL Division 1

Pádraig Sáirséil 2-14 All Saints 3-07

Venue: The Bear Pit

Sarsfields secured their first top-division victory in 25 years following a thrilling, hard-fought battle against All Saints, Ballymena, at the Bear Pit. In a game defined by dramatic momentum swings and an outstanding hat-trick performance from All Saints’ full-forward Brendan “Benny” McDonnell, the Paddies dug deep to overcome an early blitz and seal a famous win with a decisive late goal.

Two early goals by All Saints full forward Benny McDonnell got his team off to a great start

The match opened brightly for the home side when Connor Laverty pointed a free just one minute in to get Sarsfields on the board. However, that early optimism was quickly punctured by a lightning-fast response from the visitors. Benny McDonnell proved unplayable in the opening stages, finding the back of the net in the third minute to instantly put All Saints in front. Before the home defence could even reset, McDonnell struck again within the same minute, brilliantly gaining possession from the subsequent kick-out and chipping the Sarsfields keeper. He added a point shortly after, leaving the home side shell-shocked. By the 15-minute mark, the Ballymena men had cruised to a commanding lead, with Matthew Downey keeping the scoreboard ticking over for the visitors.

Faced with a daunting deficit, Sarsfields showcased tremendous resolve to claw their way back into the contest. They stabilized their possession and began to work through the gears. Jay Maguire kicked a much-needed point to start the revival. The home side then rattled off a series of vital scores approaching halftime: Connor Laverty added from play and a free, Garry Lennon slotted over another free, and half-back Liam Mitchell drove forward to score in the minute. Their methodical fightback narrowed the gap to just two points at the break, with All Saints leading 2-03 to 0-07.

The Paddies carried that momentum into the second half, with Philip McPeake quickly pointing to make it a one-point game. However, All Saints’ star man was far from finished. McDonnell halted the Sarsfields surge with a point before completing a spectacular hat-trick, latching onto a long, searching ball delivered all the way from his goalkeeper after a fantastic midfield catch.

Trailing once more, Sarsfields refused to lie down. Philip McPeake immediately answered McDonnell’s heroics by finding the net at the other end to keep the home side within striking distance. Darach Bradley (10) briefly restored some breathing room for All Saints with a quick point, but the momentum was undeniably shifting back toward the home side.

Connor Laverty remained deadly accurate, converting another free before adding one from play shortly after. Joe McNally then stepped up to split the posts, further fueling the Sarsfields revival. Although McDonnell pointed again to bring his team’s tally to 3-05 against Sarsfields’ 1-10, the Ballymena outfit couldn’t fully stifle the hosts’ relentless pressure.

In the dying moments of the game, with the Paddies battling fiercely for every breaking ball, their persistence finally paid off. A dramatic late Declan Barr goal shattered All Saints’ resistance, sealing an incredible comeback and etching a historic win into the Sarsfields history books. After a quarter of a century away from the Antrim Football League’s top flight, the Bear Pit erupted, celebrating a victory built on pure heart and resilience.

All Saints: 1. Ryan Stewart, 2. Ryan Thom, 3. Michael Read, 4. Sean McDermott, 5. Patrick Ferris, 6. Connell Lemon, 7. Matthew Downey, 8. Emmet Killough, 9. Peter McNicholl, 10. Darach Bradley, 11. Cal O’Brien, 12. Charlie Metrustry, 13. Sean O’Brien, 14. Brendan McDonnell, and 15. Ciaran Campbell.

Sarsfields 1. Michael Brady, 2. Kevin Barry McArdle, 4. Martin McPolin, 6. Liam Mitchell, 7. Joe McNally, 8. Conor Moley, 9. Cormac Murray, 10. Connor Laverty, 12. Jay Maguire, 13. Conor Glenholmes, 14. Niall Mac an Lia, 17. Fionntan McCallan, 18. Philip McPeake, 19. Garry Lennon, and 20. Daragh Gorman.

Referee – Paul Burns

TO SEE MORE OF DYLAN’S PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

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