ACFL Division 2
Naomh Muire Ahoghill 1-14 | Naomh Seosamh Glenavy 1-16
Venue: Ahoghill | Date: Wednesday, 13 May 2026
Match report: Gerard Kelly | Photos: Dominic Kelly
Glenavy claimed a hard-earned two-point victory at Ahoghill on Wednesday evening,
running out 1-16 to 1-14 winners in a contest that had everything — a dramatic second-quarter comeback, a pulsating closing spell, and a Leon Lavery goal that effectively sealed proceedings with seven minutes to play.
With a stiff wind making conditions testing throughout, both sides had to adapt their game accordingly, and the match swung emphatically in both directions before Glenavy ultimately found the composure and the scores to see it through. Ahoghill will feel that a number of missed opportunities in the second half cost them dearly, but on balance Glenavy were the more consistent side across the sixty minutes.
Glenavy Hit the Ground Running
With the wind at their backs, Glenavy made an electric start and looked to have the home side on the ropes inside the opening quarter. James Monaghan opened the scoring in the 2nd minute, and quick-fire points from Pearse O’Neill (8th) and Finn Jack Shannon (10th) extended the visitors’ advantage before Ahoghill had time to settle. Fíontán O’Boyle added a fourth on 19 to make it 0-4 without reply, and early on, a comfortable Glenavy afternoon appeared to be in the offing.
A setback arrived for the visitors when Darragh de Brún was forced off inside the opening few minutes, with a substitute filling in, but it barely disrupted Glenavy’s rhythm as they continued to make the wind count.
Ahoghill Storm Back
What followed in the final ten minutes of the first half was a remarkable passage of play that completely transformed the contest. Donal Graham opened Ahoghill’s account in the 16th minute, and Fionnbar O’Neill reduced the gap further on 20. The home crowd were revived moments later when Ronan Graham produced a superb strike from outside the 45 for two points, a score that levelled the game in an instant and signalled that Ahoghill had well and truly found their footing. Colla McDonnell pointed on 22 and Graham added his second on 23 to put the home side two clear. Leon Lavery pointed on 25 for Glenavy to keep it competitive, but Ronan Graham
responded again on 26 before Fionnbar O’Neill delivered the moment of the half, finishing clinically to the net in the 27th minute to put Ahoghill well in command.
Michael Morgan pointed for Glenavy before the break, but Daniel O’Neill’s composed two-point score in the 35th minute stretched Ahoghill’s advantage further and ensured the home
side went to the interval leading 1-07 to 0-06. From four points down to four points up, a stunning turnaround in the space of fifteen minutes.
Glenavy Reel It Back In
The second half saw Glenavy take control, though Ahoghill made them earn every score. With conditions presumably more in their favour now, the visitors came out with renewed purpose and systematically set about overturning the deficit.
Shannon added his second point of the evening on 32, before Daniel O’Neill landed another two-pointer for the hosts on 35 to push the gap back out to five — a score that seemed to steady Ahoghill’s nerves temporarily. But Glenavy had the answers. Pearse O’Neill pulled back two with a superb score from distance on 38, and a brace from Leon Lavery in the 40th and 43rd minutes, both calmly taken, had the sides level with Ahoghill unable to pull clear. The home side will rue a number of wasted chances during this spell that might have altered the outcome significantly.
Odhran Arthurs edged Glenavy in front for the first time since the opening quarter with a point on 46, and though Noah Friel levelled matters from play on 48 to raise home hopes, Shannon immediately responded with a composed two-pointer to put the visitors two clear.Fionnbar O’Neill pointed to keep Ahoghill in the hunt on 51, and the game remained in the balance heading into the final stretch.
Lavery Puts the Game To Bed
The decisive moment arrived in the 53rd minute when Leon Lavery, outstanding all
evening and finishing with a match-winning 1-3, found the net to give Glenavy a four-point cushion that Ahoghill could not overcome. Donal Graham pointed for the hosts on 54 to keep the gap to three, but the vistors wrapped up the scoring on 57 to confirm a four-point win for the Glenavy men.
Ahoghill will be frustrated.
Their second-quarter display showed a side with genuine quality and the ability to hurt any team in this division, with Fionnbar O’Neill (1-2) and Donal Graham (0-3) both impressive throughout. But the failure to take their chances after the break, particularly during the period when the game was there to be won, proved costly. For Glenavy, it was a performance built on patience and character. Lavery’s contribution was the standout, but the supporting cast, Shannon Pearse O’Neill among them all played their part in an encouraging away win.
NAOMH MUIRE AHOGHILL: Ryan Martin; Shéa Neeson, Tom McAlone, Seamus McKeever; Fionnbar O’Neill Ronan Graham Eamonn Brady; Donal Graham Patrick Graham; Conor Crossey, Daniel O’Neill Patrick Dougan; Noah Friel Noel Crossey, Colla McDonnell Also used: Ben Friel for E. Brady (60), Stephen O’Connell, Eoin Graham.
NAOMH SEOSAMH GLENAVY: Luke Devereux; Ruairi Forester, Darragh Doherty, Jonathan Phillips; Pearse O’Neill, Padhraic McKevitt, Odhran Arthurs Fíontán O’Boyle Patrick Gallagher; James Monaghan Darragh de Brún, Finn Jack Shannon Michael Morgan Darragh Armstrong, Leon Lavery Also used: Branan Loughan Ethan Hotchkiss.
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