Antrim Intermediate Football Championship – Round 4
St Joseph’s Glenavy 1-19 St Enda’s 1-22 at Chapel Hill, Glenavy
St Enda’s produced a superb second-half comeback to overturn a ten-point interval deficit and edge St Joseph’s Glenavy by 1-22 to 1-19 in a cracking Intermediate Football Championship encounter at Chapel Hill, Glenavy.
With a strong wind having a major influence on proceedings, underdogs Glenavy appeared to have put themselves in a winning position when they made full use of the conditions in the opening half to establish a 1-15 to 0-08 interval advantage.
The question at the break was whether ten points would be enough once St Enda’s had the elements in their favour.
It proved not to be.
The Hightown side used the wind even more effectively after the change of ends, with Odhrán Eastwood particularly influential from placed balls, while Glenavy contributed to their own downfall on a couple of occasions when dissent or failure to return the ball resulted in frees being advanced into scoring range.
A scrambled goal from Fionn Nagle with eight minutes of normal time remaining completed the turnaround and helped St Enda’s emerge with the points after an absorbing contest.
Glenavy could hardly have wished for a better start as they struck for the opening goal after just 40 seconds. Michael Morgan was on the end of the move, getting forward to palm the ball into the St Enda’s net.
The visitors responded through Eastwood, who opened their account after two minutes, but James Monaghan replied for Glenavy a minute later.
Eastwood added his second point before Stephen O’Connor got on the scoresheet as St Enda’s began to settle despite playing into the strong breeze.
Michael McKenna produced a good individual point in the seventh minute, but Glenavy were increasingly beginning to exploit the conditions.
Monaghan converted a free in the ninth minute before Eastwood replied from a placed ball four minutes later. Monaghan then landed another fine individual score as Glenavy maintained their advantage.
Pádhraig O’Hare replied for St Enda’s, but Glenavy hit back with one of the scores of the half when Pearse O’Neill landed an excellent two-pointer in the 15th minute.
Goalkeeper Luke Deveraux followed with a two-point free two minutes later and Glenavy added another two-pointer from play in the 19th minute as their advantage began to grow.
Paddy Gallagher added another point for the home side in the 20th minute, although Kristian Healy replied for St Enda’s a minute later.
The visitors were handed another score in the 22nd minute after a Glenavy mistake resulted in the ball being advanced, James McAuley taking advantage to send over.
Glenavy, though, continued to make the most of the wind. Monaghan converted another free before Devereux landed a 45 and then struck a two-point free following a breach.
Pearse O’Neill completed a well-worked move with another point in the 28th minute as Glenavy continued to pile on the scores.
St Enda’s might have reduced the deficit just before the break, but the Glenavy goalkeeper produced an excellent fingertip save in the 29th minute.
It left the home side leading 1-15 to 0-08 at half-time and ten points ahead of a St Enda’s team who had gone into the contest as hot favourites.
However, the strength of the wind meant the game was far from over.
St Enda’s immediately set about reducing the deficit after the restart, James McAuley opening the second-half scoring inside the first minute.
Eastwood then landed a two-point free in the third minute and suddenly Glenavy’s comfortable interval cushion was beginning to look considerably less secure.
Ciaran Loney gave the home support some encouragement with a well-worked point in the fourth minute, but St Enda’s captain Stephen O’Connor responded from a free two minutes later.
Devereux struck a two-point free for Glenavy in the seventh minute, but Eastwood replied in kind just 90 seconds later.
The St Enda’s number 13 was becoming increasingly important to the visitors’ comeback and he struck another two-point free in the 15th minute after the ball was brought forward when Glenavy failed to return it following the award of a free.
Four minutes later another Glenavy breach presented Eastwood with a further opportunity and he again punished the home side from the placed ball.
The momentum was now firmly with St Enda’s and, with the wind at their backs, they continued to drive at a Glenavy defence which was coming under increasing pressure.
The decisive score arrived in the 22nd minute.
A high delivery was sent into the heart of the Glenavy defence and, after the home side failed to clear the danger, Fionn Nagle forced the ball over the line for the St Enda’s goal.
Sean Murray followed almost immediately with a point and the visitors were now in command.
Ronan Kalla added another score in the 25th minute before Michael McKenna sent over in the 28th as St Enda’s completed a remarkable transformation from their position at half-time.
Glenavy continued to battle and Monaghan converted a free in the 32nd minute, but it was not enough to rescue the home side.
The final whistle confirmed a 1-22 to 1-19 victory for St Enda’s, completing a 13-point turnaround from their position at the interval.
There was little between the teams over the course of an excellent game, with the wind dictating much of the pattern. Glenavy used it effectively to build their ten-point half-time advantage, but St Enda’s were even more ruthless when they had the conditions behind them.
The home side will also rue the costly occasions when frees were advanced, allowing Eastwood to punish them from two-point range at a crucial stage of the comeback.
Ultimately, St Enda’s just about deserved their victory, showing considerable composure after finding themselves in serious trouble at the interval, but Glenavy’s performance ensured the hot favourites had to fight all the way for the points.
Final score: St Joseph’s Glenavy 1-19 St Enda’s 1-22.
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