ACFL Division 2
St. Teresa’s 1-08 (11) — 0-10 (10) Davitt’s
St. Teresa’s entertained Davitt’s in the ACFL Division 2 on Wednesdaynight, eventually securing a hard-fought one-point victory under the evening sunshine on the Glen Road.
The game’s decisive blow landed as early as the 9th minute. A long delivery into the Davitt’s square was mishandled by keeper Aaron Slane, and Zachary Morgan reacted quickest to palm the ball to the net. Despite the goal, St. Teresa’s found themselves battling a stiff breeze in the opening half. They focused on a patient possession game with points from Anto Taylor and DarrenMcCann, but Davitt’s led 0-06 to 1-02 at the interval thanks to scores from Caomhan Slane (0-2), Deevy Persson, the excellent Sean O’Neill, and an Aaron Slane free.
St. Teresa’s struggled to find their rhythm after the restart, failing to push on even with the wind at their backs. Davitt’s handled the conditions better, extending their lead through another Slane free and two superb points from Conor John Sullivan. When Eoin Connolly finally got St. Teresa’s off the mark in the 15th minute of the half, they still trailed 0-09 to 1-03 and the visitors looked more likely winners.
However, the home side found a second wind. A brilliant long-range free from John Mallon in the 22nd minute brought the Glen Road men to life, while the introduction of Philip Maguire brought much-needed composure to the midfield battle. St. Teresa’s hit a purple patch to clinch the result, with further points from Darren McCann and two more from Anto Taylor. A late reply from Marcus Toner for Davitt’s wasn’t enough to bridge the gap as the hosts held on.
In a game that was uncompromising but fair throughout, Referee Darren McKeown did a great job in keeping play moving and managing the intensity of the local derby.
For the winners, Paul Johnston, Darren McCann, Niall McCann, and AntoTaylor were excellent throughout. Davitt’s were best served by the tireless Sean O’Neill, along with Aaron Slane and Conor John Sullivan.
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