ACFL Division 2 Reserve

All Saints 3-17 St. Mary’s Ahoghill 4-4

A virtuoso display by All Saints full-forward, Diarmuid ‘Mitch’ McNally helped All Saints to a deserved ten point victory over St. Mary’s Ahoghill in the opening game of the ACFL Division 2 Reserve league at Quinn Park tonight.

The number 14 was unplayable over the hour and finished the game with a personal total 0f 2-6 in a game where the home side always looked like winning after a cagey opening quarter where the visitors led by 1-2 to 1-1.

It was corner-back Shea Neeson who got forward for an early goal for the visitors but when Mitch McNally redirected an Enda Kennedy shot with a flick of his wrist to the net in the 10^th minute to level matters at 1-1 apiece the Ballymena side never looked back.

Enda Kennedy, Diarmuid McNally, Niall Quinn, McNally again and Joe Rocks added unanswered points by the 23d minute to move the home side five ahead and the strong running and pace of the All Saints attack was stretching the Ahoghill men.

‘Mitch’ McNally took an astute pass from Owen Walsh to extend the home side’s lead with a good point on the restart and points from Niall Walsh and McNally again moved All Saints 8 in front and they were threatening to run away with it at this stage.

Ahoghill began to use the long ball into the danger area however and it paid dividends as Ryan Keenan and then Ryan McPeake capitalized on panic in the Ballymena defence with two quick goals that left them trailing by just two points at the end of the third quarter.

All Saints regained their composure and the initiative as McNally fired a daisy cutter to the corner of the net and when Niall Walsh got his side’s third major with ten minutes remaining it looked all over. Ciaran Campbell, McNally, Charlie Metrustry 0-2 and Aidan Scullion all added points to move their side out of site.

To their credit the Cloney men never gave up and were rewarded with a penalty after Shea Neeson was fouled in the small square and the corner back picked himself up to beat Daniel McCoy from the spot to conclude the scoring.

All Saints: 1 Daniel McCoy, 20 Jude Casey, 3 Jack Agnew, 4 Paddy O’Brien, 5 Michael Read 6 Dara Walsh, 7 Conal Killough, 8 Luke O’Rawe, 9 Joe Rocks, 10 Niall Walsh, 11 Eoin Walsh, 12 Darragh Mussen, 13 Charlie Metrustry, 14 Diarmuid McNally, 15 Enda Kennedy.

Subs Used: Reece O’Mullan, Ciaran Campbell, Aidan Scullion,

Ahoghill: 1 Joe Downey, 2 Finbar Graham, Niall Magee, 4 Shea Neeson, 5 Jerard Keenan, 6 Stephen O’Connell, 7 Ben Friel, 8 Dominic Neeson, 9 James Graham, 10 Callum Reynolds, 11 Sean McMahon, 12 Ryan Martin, 13 Ryan Keenan, 14 Aiden Graham, 15 Ryan McPeake, 16 Connor Scullion, 17 John Paul Neeson

Referee: Gerard Dougan (Creggan)

ACFL Division 1

St. Enda’s 1.8 (11) Tír na nÓg 1.9 (12)

On a night not conducive to good football it was hardly surprising that four of the six division one fixtures ended with only a point separating the protagonists but the performance of last year’s division 2 champions, Tir na nOg is the one that must have caught the eye of most GAA followers in the county.

They travelled to Glengormley to face a St. Enda’s team who have been going well in the league and who defeated county champions Creggan at the same venue a few weeks ago, and would have started Wednesday night’s game as firm favourites.

Tír na nÓg were warmly welcomed by the St. Enda’s clubmen stewarding the pitch. Both teams were fortunate that the severe weather held off until late in the game and despite slippery underfoot conditions these sides served up a very competitive game of football over 60+ minutes.

St. Enda’s with their experience in Division 1 were favourites and after 5 minutes had opened a 3 point advantage, they extended this to 4 after 17 minutes but the Whitehill men edged it back to 2 before the short whistle.

The home side started the second half in similar fashion with Christian Healy seamlessly gliding through the Tír na nÓg defence, until Oliver McAtamney found the net for the visitors, 43 minutes into the game to give the away team the lead for the first time.

 Ciaran O’Neill and Aaron McNeilly tagged on two further hard fought scores and the defence did well to contain St. Enda’s threat in the closing stages. Having secured their second win of the season the new comers to division 1 face St. Galls at home on Sunday while St. Enda’s travel to Portglenone.

Best on the night for St. Enda’s was talisman Christian Healy while Sean Duffin and Ciaran O’Neill shone for the battling blues.

Tír na nÓg: 1. SP McAtamney 2. E. Higgins 3. B. McLarnon 4. P. Cullen 5. C. O’Neill 6. C. Duffin 7. O. McAtamney 8. J. Higgins 9. R. O’Neill 10. C. Logan 11. S. Duffin 12. D. Fegan 13. C. Dobbin 14. A. McNeilly 15. D. Martin

Subs used: R. O’Neill for C. Logan, R. Crilly for P. Cullen K. Sheerin for J. Higgins

Scorers: C. Dobbin (0.1), S. Duffin (0.2), A. McNeilly (0.3-2 frees), D. Fegan (0.2), O. McAtamney (1.0), C. O’Neill (0.1)

Referee: Danny O’Neill (Gort na Mona)

ACFL Division 2

Moneyglass 4-13 Glenavy 0-4

Moneyglass’ relentless start to the season continued last night at Marian Hill with a four goal salvo that saw them claim their latest scalp, St. Joseph’s Glenavy in an entertaining game despite the difficult conditions.

The home side got off to a perfect start when a Connlaodh McCann shot was deflected off a Glenavy defender and finished in the visitors net but the Chapel Hill side responded to this early setback and replied with points from David Nelson, Fergal Henry and Stephen Donne to draw level with 8 minutes gone.

Seanchann Duffin and Colm Duffin for St. Ergnat’s and Ciaran Looney and Fergal Henry for the visitors exchanged further points to leave the contest all square with 17 minutes gone but the game swung in favour of the home side when they were awarded a penalty in the 22^nd minute. Up stepped Seanchann Duffin to beat Gareth Collins from the spot and Dermot McErlain added a point to move Moneyglass four ahead.

The closing stages of the first half belonged to the visitors however as they came storming back with points from Niall McCann, Ciaran Loney, Malachi Doherty and Fergal Henry in reply to one from Duffin for the home side to leave it all to play for in the second half with St. Ergnat’s 2-5 to 0-9 ahead.

Dermot McErlain extended the Moneyglass lead with a point on the restart and when Aidan McErlain got through for their third goal to put a bit of daylight between the sides it looked a long way back for the visitors even at this early juncture.

Seanchann Duffin, Dermot McErlain and Colm Duffin added further points by the 41^st minute to mover St. Ergnat’s nine ahead as the visitors struggled to regain their opening half form. Fergal Duffin finally opened their account with points in the 44^th and 47^th minutes but Moneyglass replied with points from Conor O’Kane and Colm Duffin for the Marian Hill side.

To their credit Glenavy kept battling away and were rewarded when Stephen Doone and Fiontan O’Boyle added points but when Aidan McErlain replied with his second and his side’s fourth goal with four minutes remaining it was well and truly over.

The excellent Henry added a consolation point for St. Joseph’s but Moneyglass finished strongly with points from power house Colm Duffin and substitute Shane Madden for a convincing win and they now remain the only team in all three divisions on full points after five rounds of games.

Moneyglass: 1 Danny McErlain, 2 Luke O’Donnell, 3 Peter McCormick, 4 Callum McStocker, 5 Jack McCoy McCormick 6 Fearghal Duffin, 7 Sean Kelly, 8 Colum Duffin, 9 Niall Boyd, 10 Seanchann Duffin, 11 Dermot McErlain, 12 Miran Neeson, 13 Conor O’Kane, 14 Aidan McErlain, 15 Connlaodh McCann

Glenavy: 1 Gareth Collins, 2 Conor Doherty, 3 Eoin Henry, 4 Oliver Rankin, 5 Patrick Fox, 6 Patrick Gallagher, 7 Matthew Lawlor, 8 Ciaran Loney, 9 Stephen Doone, 10 Fiontan O’Boyle, 11 Malachi Doherty, 12 Ryan Phillips, 13 Niall McCann, 14 Fergal Henry, 15 David Nelson

Referee: Richard Leahy (St. Comgall’s)

ACFL Division 2

Rasharkin  0-7(7)  St Teresas 2-8(14)

Photographs: Mark Hasson

St. Teresa’s recovered from a heavy defeat in Dunloy on Sunday to gain their second brace of points against a Rasharkin team who had run the Cuchullain’s close a couple of weeks ago.

It took 12 minutes for either side to register and It was visitors St. Mary’s who were first to register when Tiernan O’Boyle pointed them ahead after a dour and uneventful opening period as both sides struggled to deal with the blustery conditions.

This score seemed to spark the Glen Road side into life as they replied with points from John Mallon 0-2 and Conor O’Rawe to move two in front by the 20^th minute.

Ryan Lynch replied with a good point for the visitors but the momentum was with the Glen Road men and Anthony Varndell and Phillip Maguire fired over to move the home side three in front with four minutes remaining to the break.

Tiernan O’Boyle closed the gap to two with half time approaching but big full-forward got in for a vital goal for St. Teres’a just before the break with the impressive O’Boyle keeping the visitors hopes alive with a pointed free in first half injury time.

H.T. St. Teresa’s 1-5 Rasharkin 0-4

Rasharkin battled hard to get themselves back into the game but it was St. Teres’s who drew first blood when John Mallon pointed in the 6^th minute with the visitors replying with a good point from Ryan Lynch to keep the gap at four.

John Mallon was influencing matters on the ‘40’ for the West Belfast side and he struck with his second point of the half in the 10^th minute with the visitors struggling to hit the target in the worsening conditions.

It was a further 10 minutes before Shane Hasson split the posts to again give his side a glimmer of hope but once again St. Teresa’s were able to find a response and Mark Small got his name on their score sheet as he pointed with eight minutes remaining.

Ryan Lynch was doing all in his power to keep the Dreen men afloat and his point in the 22^nd minute again closed the gap to four but that was as close as they got with John Erskine putting the game out of reach with his second goal of the game to conclude the scoring.

A good win for St. Teresa’s which moves them onto four points and once again they have shown that if they can get their best team out they are hard to beat on their Glen Road ground.

They were solid at the back throughout with John Mallon impressing on the ‘40’ and big John Erskine in a rick vein of form at the edge of the square getting two goals to add to a great goal he scored in Dunloy on Sunday.

Rasharkin have been turning in descent performances lately without much reward but never reached those levels in this game and will need to get back to their best if they are to get anything from Sunday’s visit to unbeaten Davitt’s while St. Teresa’s face a similar hurdle as they travel out to Crumlin to meet St. James.

St. Teresa’s: 1 Odhran O’Neill, 2 Ryan Mallon, 3 Joseph Rainey, 4 James McGorrian, 5 Conor O‘Rawe, 6 Colm McGoldrick, 7 Liam Gault, 8 Anthony Varndell, 9 Luke Cassin, 10 Phillip Maguire, 11 John Mallon, 12 Paul McGoldrick, 13 Mark Small, 14 John Erskine, 15 Stephen O’Hara

Rasharkin: 1 – Tiernan O’Boyle 2 – Seamus Ellis 3 – Daniel Doherty 4 – Pearse Kelly 5 – Colm Kennedy 6 – Emmet McFerran 7 – Conor Hasson 8 – Ruairi OBoyle 9 – Thomas McMullan 10 – Shane Hasson 11 – Ryan Lynch 12 – Andrew Hasson 13 – Thomas Doherty 14 – Conor McKeever 15 – Conor McFerran

SUBS:

Eamon McNeill for Thomas Doherty 

Cahir Henderson for Andrew Hasson 

Jack Quinn for Conor McFerran