All County Football League – Division Two
Aldergrove 2-21 | Glenavy 1-13
Prior to throw-in for this eagerly anticipated south-west derby, a respectful minute’s silence was observed in memory of Glenavy’s Eamonn Devereux who died earlier this week.
When the ball was thrown in, it was Aldergrove who found their rhythm early, dictating the tempo and utilizing sharp, efficient breakouts to ultimately secure a commanding victory. Aldergrove hit the ground running, registering their first score within thirty seconds through a point from play by Ryan McCarthy. Seamus McGarry followed up shortly after with a converted free. Glenavy’s James Monaghan offered a swift reply with a point from play at the two-and-a-half-minute mark, but Aldergrove quickly took control of the opening quarter.
Between the 10th and 19th minutes, the St. James’ men dominated the scoreboard. Rónán Ó hAnnaidh and Seamus McGarry fired over points from play, before Aldergrove’s number 17 reliably converted two consecutive frees to stretch the lead. Glenavy battled hard to stay in touch. Leon Lavery was a constant threat, pointing from play and adding a free. James Monaghan executed a crucial two-pointer from a dead ball, while Fiontan O’Boyle added his name to the scoresheet just before the 30-minute mark. Lavery added another under intense pressure, keeping the St. Joseph’s men within striking distance. Discipline frayed slightly as Glenavy’s Ruairi Forester was shown a yellow card in the 31st minute. Aldergrove capitalized on the shifting momentum immediately. After their number 17 tapped over another free, Lughaidh Mac Gabhann broke free to rifle home a brilliant breakaway goal. Glenavy’s Finn Jack Shannon answered with an excellent long-range effort, leaving the halftime score at Aldergrove 1-09, Glenavy 0-08.
Glenavy emerged for the second half with renewed purpose, focusing on intricate team build-ups. Leon Lavery was heavily involved again, hitting three superb points in the opening five minutes—one well-worked team score and another opportunistic point following a save. Aldergrove, however, refused to panic. Seamus McGarry steadied the ship with a massive long-range point. After a substitution that saw their number 17 make way for number 25, Aldergrove orchestrated a beautiful team move finished sharply by Cormac McGarry. At the 14-minute mark, the game burst wide open. Glenavy strung together a magnificent team move that culminated in Michael Morgan finding the back of the net, injecting real belief into the Glenavy sideline.
Yet, the final quarter belonged to Aldergrove. Their dominance around the midfield sector began to tell, and their forwards were ruthless. Seamus McGarry added an individual point, followed by an unbelievable pressure score from Cormac McGarry. Rian Ó hEoghain and Rónán Ó hAnnaidh kept the scoreboard ticking over as Aldergrove found another gear. Despite James Monaghan fighting valiantly for Glenavy with a free and a point from play, Aldergrove’s conditioning and shooting accuracy won out. Seamus McGarry hit another great point under pressure, Rónán Ó hAnnaidh landed a two-pointer from play, and Lughaidh Mac Gabhann capped off the afternoon with the final score of the game.
Ultimately, Aldergrove were on a different level today. They controlled the middle third of the pitch with authority, turning turnovers into sharp, efficient breakouts that Glenavy struggled to contain. Seamus McGarry rightfully earns the Man of the Match honors for his exceptional shooting, vision, and overall control of the game’s flow. For Glenavy, it was a frustrating afternoon. Missed scoring opportunities, particularly in the opening thirty minutes, left them with too steep a mountain to climb. The effort was there, especially early in the second half, but the final message for the St. Joseph’s men as they look ahead to the next round is clear: better pull, boys, better pull.
TEAM LINEUPS
ALDERGROVE: 1. Shane O’ Neill 2. Lonan Magee 3. Corey Fogarty 4. Caden Lagan 5. Chris McVeigh 6. Emmett Irvine 7. Oisin Graham 8. Ryan Owens 9. Conleth Hendron 10. Cormaic McGarry 11. Ryan McCarthy 12. Seamus McGarry 13. Ronan Hanna 14. Fearghal Burke 15. Lewis Smyth
GLENAVY (Naomh Seosamh): 1. Fergal Green, 2. Ruairi Forester, 3. Darragh Doherty, 4. Jonathan Phillips, 5. Pearse O’Neill, 6. Padhraic Mckevitt, 7. Odhran Arthurs, 8. Patrick Gallagher, 9. Fiontan O’Boyle, 10. James Monaghan, 11. Ciaran Loney, 12. Finn Jack Shannon, 13. Leon Lavery, 14. Michael Morgan, 15. Darragh de Brun.
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