Sarsfield’s completed their ACFL Division 2 programme on Wednesday night with a comprehensive victory over Naomh Padraig at the Bear Pit with the Belfast side having already clinched the title when they travelled to and defeated Moneyglass back on the 18th June.
It’s been a great year for the Stewartstown Road side who dropped only one point on their way to collecting their first Division 2 success for quite a number of years and they will now have their eyes firmly fixed on the Intermediate Championship where they are sure to be serious challengers.
It was also a great year for the club’s Senior Reseve side who clinched the Division 3 Reserve title
Garry Lennon (Left) Senior football captain with Conor Glenholmes Senior Reserve captain
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Kevin Herron reports from Páirc Mhic Ionnrachtaigh
Gort na Mona ended their league campaign on a winning note with a comfortable 1-20-0-09 victory over West Belfast neighbours Davitt’s on home soil on Tuesday evening.
Despite the hosts making most of the early runnings it didn’t reflect on the scoreboard with a point a piece a quarter of an hour into proceedings.
Michael Savage’s 5th minute point was cancelled out by Aaron Slane five minutes later, but Gort began to pull clear after Tarlach Enright was tripped outside the arc and he kicked the resulting two-pointed free.
Enright then clipped over a two-pointer from play after Ciaran Donnelly found Ciaran MacGiolla Cheera to lay-off into Enright’s path.
Davitt’s replied in the form a two-pointed free from Slane, but in the last ten minutes the hosts had racked up a nine-point lead.
Tarlach Enright kicked successive two-pointed frees from outside the arc and then landed a 45’.
Gort’s talisman kicked a further point in the aftermath of Michael Savage doubling his tally as their side were 0-12-0-03 ahead at the interval.
The hosts picked up where they left off and extended their lead after the break, Ciaran Donnelly shot over and after Matthew McConnell was fouled, Tarlach Enright kicked his fourth two-pointed free of the evening.
He followed that up with a fantastic angled score before Davitt’s opened their account for the half through a second Aaron Slane free.
Just before the midway point in the half, Slane kicked his second two-pointed free – but in reply Gort na Mona pulled clear with the games only goal.
Caoimhin Beck saw his shot blocked down, it was only a temporary reprieve for Davitts though as McConnell picked up the loose ball and floated it across for a Jack Thompson close range palmed finish to make it 1-16-0-06.
Successive Ciaran Donnelly efforts dropped over the bar in the aftermath with Davitt’s hitting three unanswered scores in their most productive period.
Slane increased his personal tally with a 45’, Anthony Rowntree then shot over after a one-two with Conor Maguire and Gerard Slane then shot over his sides final score of the evening.
It was Gort na Mona who finished stronger though with Donnelly turning provider for substitute Conal Keenan to join the the scoring ranks and there was still time to Tarlach Enright to bend a shot over the bar to seal a comfortable 1-20-0-09 victory for his side as the attention now turns to the Intermediate Championship for both sides at the end of the month.
GORT NA MONA: J Ireland, J McIlroy, C McCabe, S Campbell, B Burns, C Donnelly (0-3), P Cournane, M Savage (0-2), J Thompson (1-0), C MacGiolla Cheara, C Carson, P Mulvenna, C Beck, M McConnell. T Enright (0-14, 0-1 45’, 1x2pt, 4×0-2 ptf). SUBS: C Keenan (0-1) for P Cournane (HT), K Walsh for C MacGiolla Cheara (HT), C Clarke for P Mulvenna (46), D McKeown for M McConnell (50), J Reilly for J McIlroy (55).
DAVITTS: R McAuley, C Rainey, N Maginn, B Maguire, N McParland, A Hargan, J Lindsey, A Rowntree (0-1), C Slane, D Mooney, G Slane (0-1), CJ Sullivan, M Toner, R Park, A Slane (0-6, 0-1 45’, 1 x 0-1f, 2 x 0-2 ptf). SUBS: P Keeveny for M Toner (39), C Toner for N McParland (39), C Maguire (0-1) for R Park (45), M Toner for D Mooney (46).
Glenavy travelled on Sunday looking to build on their win last time out against St Patricks, Lisburn, to play Moneyglass who have only suffered one defeat in the league all year. That defeat saw Sarsfields pip Moneyglass to secure the league and the automatic promotion spot meant that this game carried less importance in the league standing. However, that didn’t stop both sides serving up an exciting and entertaining hour of football, where Glenavy’s cutting edge made the difference and earned them the win.
With both sides starting line ups missing a number of regular players, there was a few last minute positional adjustments before the referee threw the ball in to start the game. It was Glenavy that started the better and raced into a 1-3 to no score lead in the first quarter. At this point, Glenavy’s retention of the ball and dominance around the middle and half back line was causing the home team problems and when Glenavy cut through the Moneyglass defence for Patrick Gallagher to finish the move palming the ball into the net, the home supporters could have been forgiven for thinking that the game was already up. However, the young Moneyglass side got to grip around midfield and were soon back in the game with two, 2 pointers and a goal to turn the game around in their favour. The second quarter was end to end with both sides trading scores. Glenavy’s full forward line and quick ball was causing problems, while at the other end, Moneyglass’s running from deep and overlaps was creating space which Glenavy found difficult to pick up.
At half time it was game on with Glenavy holding a narrow 1-9 to 1-8 lead.
The second period started slowly with both sides looking to gain control of the football, however it was a Glenavy mistake forced by the Moneyglass press that presented a clear opening to the Moneyglass attacker who made no mistake and finished to the net.
Glenavy to their credit didn’t panic however they were struggling to make the ball stick in the full forward line and the Moneyglass pressure forced several turnovers. Despite their defence being on top, Moneyglass failed to capitalise in the forward line and Glenavy eventually punished them with a number of impressive 2 point scores. At this stage the Glenavy midfield had gain control again and were putting huge pressure on the Moneyglass kick outs and created several scoring opportunities which their impressive full forward line took to open up a lead going into the last quarter.
Both teams made several substitutions and with the game entering the final stages, Moneyglass struck back with a tally of 1-2 in the closing stages to narrow the gap. However, Glenavy saw the game out and finished with a final score to win on a total of 1-23 to 3-10.
Both teams will take positives from the game and no doubt will have their sights firmly fixed on the forth coming Intermediate championship.
It turned out to be a disappointing day for St Mary’s Rasharkin after defeat to Gort na Mona saw them relegated from Division 2 of the Antrim Football League. The Dreen men had to win their last two games to stand any chance of avoiding the drop but defeat today to the West Belfast side makes their last game irrelevant.
Donagh Quigg celebrates after scoring an early Rasharkin goal
Rasharkin started the game really well and were a goal up after three minutes as Donagh Quigg cut through the middle and fired home and it looked like they were going to double that lead when Oran McMullan got through a minute later, only to be denied by a great block from Gorts full-back Ciaran Donnelly.
However Gort na Mona began to settle and after Tarlacht Enright got their opening point, Eamon Scannell added a 2pointer to level the game. Padraic Mulvenna had the chance to put them in front but pulled a penalty wide of the left upright but they didn’t have long to wait as full forward Patrick McConnell reacted quickest when a ball broke around the Rasharkin ‘square’ and poked the ball past the Rasharkin keeper a couple of minutes later. Ciaran MacGiolla cheara and Conhuir Clarke tagged on points to put them five ahead before the home team got their next score, and three in a row, two by Brian Og O’Neill and one by Caolan McGarrell got them right back into, only to concede a sloppy goal just on half time, Matthew McConnell rising high to take advantage of a defensive slip.
Leading by 2-06 to 1-05 at the start of the second half Enright pushed the gap out to five with an early point, but O’Neill came back with one for the home team a minute later. A 2pointer by Caoimhin Beck stretched the gap out to seven and it was at eight soon afterwards when Dessie McClean fired over.
Hard though they tried during the final quarter Rasharkin could make little progress in clawing back the deficit and though O’Neill and Quigg did find the target Enright was able to match them for the Gorts and they went on to win by six in the end.
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Photo above – St Patrick’s goalkeeper Ruadham McKenna who hit three 2pointers inside five minutes to bring his team right back into the game
Antrim Football League – Division 2
Glenavy 0-16 St Patricks Lisburn 1-11
When St Patrick’s Lisburn turned around at half time seven points in arrears to their hosts Glenavy at Chapel Hill on Wednesday evening most of those in attendance must have thought this was going to be a drab old game with little incident. However all was to change in the second half as the Lisburn men got right back into the game, thanks mainly to three 2pointers by the visitors’ goalkeeper Ruadham McKenna that got his team right back into the game and though they ended two points short in the end, they certainly had the home fans worried for a while.
Two club legends, Joe O’Boyle of Glenavy and Mickey Lynch of Naomh Padraig Lisburn were at the game at Chapel Hill
Glenavy started strongly with three points from Fergal Henry, James Gallagher and Henry again in the 9th minute. Lisburn hadn’t raised a flag by the end of the opening quarter but when Josh McMullan grabbed a goal on 16 minutes they were back on terms. However that was to be their only score of the first half as the home side hit seven in a row, three from Fergal Henry frees, two by Jack Shannon and one each from James Gallagher and Pearse O’Neill to lead by 0-10 to 1-00 at half time.
Clubmates Josh McMullan and Che Smyth clashed heads during the game and play was suspended for quite a while, Josh was able to return to the action after getting patched up but Che had to leave the field and was taken to hospital. All of us with the two speedy recoveries
When Shannon added another at the start of the second half things looked bleak for the Lisburn men, but after Josh McMullan sent over a point, goalkeeper McKenna lifted the spirits with a great 2pointer in the 38th minute. A clash of heads between two Lisburn players held the game up for a good few minute but once it going McKenna did it again and two minutes after that he added a third to bring his team back to within a point. Two in a row from James Gallagher gave Glenavy a bit of breathing space but Lisburn kept in touch when Rudi Smyth sent over a point. Fergal Henry and Eoin Dixon exchanged point to cut the deficit to just two, but Shannon and Henry pushed the gap out to four by the 56th minute. Lisburn kept up the pressure and landed two more points in added time, but the home team held on to win in the end by two.
Fergal Henry who was top scorer for Glenavy
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