OB Construction Antrim IFC Group 1
Davitts 1-11-3-18 Aldergrove
Kevin Herron reports from Davitt Park
THREE second half goals saw Aldergrove surge clear of Davitts and claim the points with a 3-18-1-11 win in their OB Construction IFC clash at Davitt Park on Saturday evening.
The Crumlin outfit had the better of the early exchanges and found the games opening two points through scores from Cormac McGarry and Fergal Burke.
However, the game’s opening goal fell to the hosts after James Lindsey slipped a pass into Padraig McParland and he rifled beyond Shane O’Neill and into the net to make it 1-0-0-2.
CJ Sullivan extended his side’s lead from a converted free, before Aldergrove kicked into life again with four unanswered points inside a four minute spell.
The deficit was halved through Eoin Gough’s shot that dropped over and a fisted angled point from Emmet Irvine levelled.
The visitors showed great tenacity to turn over substitute Sean O’Neill and a score was forthcoming through Seamus McGarry to edge his side back in front, with Ronan Hanna landing his first of the contest to make it 0-6-1-1.
Goalscorer Padraig McParland kicked his first point of the evening in response, though a converted Cormac McGarry free restored the two-point deficit.
Shortly after the midway point in the half Davitt’s were back on level terms, McParland flashed over from CJ Sullivan’s slipped pass and then Sean O’Neill popped a pass over the top that Sullivan got on the end of and he steered the ball over.
There was no further advance for the Beechmount natives though, as Aldergrove moved into a four-point lead by the 27th minute.
Ronan Hanna claimed three of the four scores on the spin, steadying himself to kick his second and in between a Seamus McGarry point- Hanna fisted over a third and then palmed a floated high ball from Fergal Burke over to open up a 0-11-1-4 advantage.
Davitt’s would half the deficit with back-to-back scores before the break. Padraig McParland guided a shot over under pressure and a high Anthony Rowntree shot dropped over the posts to ensure that two separated the sides at the interval (0-11-1-6).
The sides traded points quickly after the restart, Aldergrove extended their lead through a Cormac McGarry score, with Anthony Rowntree replying.
Crucially, the visitors first goal of the game put them firmly in the driving seat and they pressed home their advantage in the last 25 minutes.
Oisin Graham superbly won a break from goalkeeper Shane O’Neill and he played a pass into Ronan Hanna, a quick interchange saw Gerard Mallon lay the ball into the path of Fergal Burke and he was somehow able to squeeze his fisted attempt past Ryan McAuley and into the Davitts goal to give his side a 1-12-1-7 lead.
A fisted Oisin Graham score followed before Aldergrove had their second goal in the 41st minute.
The subsequent kick from Graham’s score was charged down by Eoin Gough and the ball quickly played into Ronan Hanna and he slipped the ball off to Cormac McGarry who shot low into the corner, making it 2-13-1-7.
Substitute Sean O’Neill converted an angled free, but it take Davitt’s a further 15-minutes before their next score arrived and in that time Aldergrove tagged on a further three points.
Referee Kevin Parke awarded the visitors a free for a breach and Seamus McGarry clipped the ball over from close range, Eoin Gough dropped in a high ball and Ronan Hanna blasted over with Cormac McGarry swinging over his fourth point.
After a flurry of chances went wide and short, Michael Connolly added to Davitt’s tally- though their defensive struggles manifested again in the closing stages.
A fourth Seamus McGarry point was soon followed by his side’s third goal when substitutes Conor Totten and James Trowlen combined for the latter to poke home, despite Trowlen being felled by Ryan McAuley- that earned the Davitt’s keeper a yellow card in the aftermath.
Trowlen added a further point to close his sides scoring for the evening, with Padraig McParland landing a two-pointer from play in response in what was the final action of the game.
Victory for Aldergrove saw them hit top spot in Group 1 at the end of the first round of fixtures.
Both sides are back into action next weekend with Davitt’s making the short trip to the Glen Road to take on St Teresa’s, whilst Aldergrove will be hoping to make it two from two when they travel to take on St Agnes’ at Woodlands.
DAVITTS: R McAuley, C Toner, N Maginn, C Rainey, J Lindsey, D Mooney, J Scally, A Rowntree (0-2), M Connolly (0-1), O Deevey Persson, CJ Sullivan (0-2, 0-1f), B Maguire, P McParland (1-5, 1×0-2pt), A McGrattan, C Slane.
SUBS: S O’Neill (0-1f) for A McGrattan (8), P McLaughlin for B Maguire (38), G Burns for O Deevey Persson (40), A McGrattan for C Slane (56).
ALDERGROVE: S O’Neill, C Lagan, C Fogerty, L Fleming, C McVeigh, E Irvine (0-1), E Gough (0-1), R Owens, O Graham (0-1), C Hendron, S McGarry (0-4, 0-1f), G Mallon, R Hanna (0-5), F Burke (1-1), C McGarry (1-4, 0-1f).
SUBS: R McCarthy for C Hendron (HT), D Gough for G Mallon (42), L Smyth for E Irvine (44), J Trowlen (1-1) for F Burke (56), C Totten for R Hanna (59).
REFEREE: Kevin Parke (ST ENDAS)
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