ACFL Division2

Moneyglass 1-14 Sarsfields 1-17

Photographs: Elaine Kelly

Sarsfields put themselves in pole position to claim the ACFL Division 2 title when they travelled to Moneyglass on Wednesday night and recorded a three point victory over their challengers for the title, St. Ergnat’s.

Both sides were locked on 21 points going into this ‘winner takes all’ contest, the sides having shared the points earlier in the season at the Bear Pit before the league split and both a long way clear of third place St. Teresa’s.

A superb exhibition of free taking from Brian Healy would prove the difference between the sides in the end, the Sarsfield’s sharp shooter accounting for 1-9 of his side’s total on the evening. 0-6 from frees and his goal coming from the penalty spot.

Healy’s goal came in the second minute and points from Conor Moley 2pt, and Healy 0-2 had the visitors 1-4 ahead by the 6^th minute as they started at blistering pace.

Sean Boyd opened the St. Ergnat’s account with a point in the 8^th minute in exchange to another Sarsfields point from Conor Glenholmes and two pointed frees from Tyler Cassidy and another from play by Conor Boyd had it back to 4 by the 22^nd minute.

Philip McPeake and a converted Healy pointed free in exchange to points from Aidan McErlain and Colum Duffin left Sarsfield’s leading by five at the break.

Aidan McErlain got St. Ergnat’s off to a great start when he found the net, two minutes into the second half but Sarsfields replied with point from Garry Lennon and another Brian Healy free to move four ahead again by the 8^th minute.

A great 2 pointer from Colum Duffin cut the deficit to two once more and it was down to one when Conor Boyd split the posts for his second of the evening.

Just when it looked like the tide was turning Healy struck another brace of 2 pointers of the ground with Duffin replying with a similar effort for the team in blue in the 48^th minute but that would be as close as they would get.

Both sides added 0-3 in the run in with a Healy 2 pointer and Lennon on target for Sarsfields and Colum Duffin (2pts) and Kevin McCann replying for St. Ergnat’s.

St. Ergnat’s are at home to St. Joseph’s Glenavy in their final game while Sarsfield’s entertain, Naomh Padraig Lisburn and, barring slip-ups the Division 2 title looks on its way to the Stewartstown Road.

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ACFL Division 2

Glenavy 0-12 Moneyglass 1-15

St. Ergnat’s Moneyglass’ relentless charge back to division 1 continued at Chapel Hill on Saturday when they had little difficulty in overcoming the challenge of St. Joseph’s Glenavy.

Indeed this game was well and truly over, 10 minutes into the second half when Sean Boyd fired home the only goal of the game for the Marrion Hill side to put them 10 points ahead.

The home side finished well with three 2pointers but by the time they got going it was too late and those scores only served to put a better look on the final score-line.

Tyler Cassidy, Colum Duffin 0-2 and Paul Duffin shot the visitors into a 0-4 to 0-0 lead by the 7^th minute before Fergal Henry finally got the home side off the mark when he pointed a 12^th minute free.

Fearghal Duffin, Colum Duffin and Ronan Campbell extended the St. Ergnat’s lead to six by the 16^th minute with Henry replying with his and his side’s second point from another free in the 22^nd minute.

Matthew Lawlor in the Glenavy goals pulled off a good save as the visitors threatened to over-run their opponents before Connor O’Kane extended the Moneyglass lead with a good point.

The home side finally raised their first white flag from play when Dominic Gallagher split the posts with three minutes remaining to the break and Fergal Henry followed suit to give his side a much needed lift going into the half time break.

The Chapel Hill side failed to build on their first half finish however and after Tiernan McCormick and Fergal Henry exchanged early points, it was visitors Moneyglass who again took control.

Tyler Cassidy, Connleth McCann, Tiernan McCormick and Cassidy again rattled off four quick fire points and when Sean Boyd finished a slick build up to the Glenavy net in the 10^th minute it was as good as over.

Kevin McCann added a point before Finn Shannon finally got St. Joseph’s second point of the half from a well struck ‘45’ with 17 minutes gone and it finally brought some response from the men in Orange.

Fergal Henry 2pt free, Darragh Moore with a fine 2 pointer from play and Henry with another 2pt free in the 26^th minute closed the gap to five with four minutes of normal time remaining but that would be as close as they got.

The final score of the contest fell the way of St. Ergnat’s Tyler Cassidy as he sent over in time added on to bring matters to conclusion as their march back to the top flight continues at pace.

They have been matched all the way to date from Patrick Sarsfield’s who were given a much sterner test before overcoming the challenge of St. Enda’s at the bear Pit, that one ending 2-14 to 2-13.

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ACFL Division 2

St. Ergnat’s 2-15 Naomh Padraig 2-14

Colm Duffin raised four orange flags as St. Ergnat’s Moneyglass were forced to dig deep to overcome the spirited challenge of Naomh Padraig Lisburn and maintain their place at the top of division 2.

The visitors made the early running and raced into an early lead with the elements in their favour with Eoin Dixon pointing in the second minute.

They received a setback when Tyler Cassidy got through for the game’s opening goal for the home side with only four minutes on the clock but came back through two scores from Dixon, the second a 2 pointer to go ahead.

Conor Boyd brought the sides level with a Moneyglass point in the 9^th minute and added another in the12^th to edge them back ahead but it would be their final score of the opening period as Naomh Padraig finished the half on top.

Brendan McGarr brought the Liburn side level again with a point in the 13^th minute and two more from the impressive Dixon and one from Rory Kennedy had them three ahead with 24 minutes gone.

The home side just could not get their game going and they looked in a spot of bother when Jude Rafferty fired past Jamie McLaughlin for Naomh Padraig’s opening goal in the 27^th minute to leave his side 1-8 to 1-2 ahead at the break.

Tyler Cassidy closed the gap to five with a point in the opening minute of the second half but Naomh Padraig responded through Eoin Dixon to extend their lead to six with only two minutes of the new half gone.

The home side were beginning to come into the game and Colm Duffin raised an orange flag with a fine long range effort before the visitors responded with 2 of their own, the second coming from the impressive Oisin Gorman.

Sean Boyd and Conor Boyd closed the gap to five at the end of the third quarter and then Conlaodh McCann put Moneyglass right back into contention when he finished to the net, a minute later.

The visitors were coming under increasing pressure for the first time in the game but replied through a Ruadhan McKenna pointed free, the visitors keeper sending a long range effort between the uprights for an excellent 2 pointer.

The tide was turning however and the momentum was very much with the home side as Paul Duffin and Colm Duffin with a couple more 2pointers reeled in the visitors lead with 9 minutes remaining.

It was Naomh Padraig who were now being forced back on the defensive but looked to have held on for a massive victory when Tyler Cassidy exchanged late points with Eoin Dixon but there would be one more decisive play to come.

Colm Duffin, as he has done so often over the years became the St. Ergnat’s hero when he sent over his fourth 2 pointer of the evening in injury time to see his side home by the minimum and maintain top spot in the division alongside Sarsfields.

A well contested game of football in which Naomh Padraig certainly played their part and they will be disappointed not to have taken something from it as they continue to show that they can match it with the best in the division on their day.

Antrim Football League Division 2

Rasharkin 2-11 St Comgall’s 3-13

St Comgall’s came from five points down at half time to beat Rasharkin by five in Wednesday evening highly entertaining Division 2 League game at Dreen. The home team held the upper hand for most of the first half and were 0-10 to 0-03 ahead at one stage, but when St Comgall’s got it back to five by half time you felt they were in a strong position, considering the strength of the breeze, and so it proved.

A 2-pointer from Brian Og O’Neill got Rasharkin away to a good start and when they added the next three points, one of them from an O’Neill free, they were five to the good.

Man of the match Ryan Clarke, who was to end up with 3-2 to his name, brought St Comgall’s right back into the game. He grabbed his first goal after a well worked move through the middle, but Ryan Lynch fired home at the other end for the home side and when Donagh Quigg and O’Neill added points apiece they were seven ahead. However the Antrim men finished the first half strongly and points from Ruairi Griffin and Tom Patchett brought the gap back to five by half time.

St Comgall’s cut the gap to just two early in the second half, Patchett, Devine and Clarke hitting the target, and you felt it was only a matter of time until they hit the front. However a good move through the middle by the home side saw Brian Og O’Neill get his team’s second goal. The home didn’t get a chance to see the benefit of that goal as St Comgall’s had the ball in the net at the other end within a minute.

Ryan Lynch pulled another point back for Rasharkin, but the scoring dried up for them after that and when Clarke completed his hat-trick for the visitors the writing was on the wall, and when Ruairi Griffin added two points the Antrim men had the upper hand. Rasharkin did have chances but they found the scores harder to come by playing into the Pavillion end and all they could muster was another point by O’Neill.

St Comgall’s were well on top but not 100% certain of the win, but they finished strongly with five points on the trot to wrap up the points and move themselves up out of the relegation zone.

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ACFL Division 2

St Patrick’s, Lisburn 0-12 St Teresa’s 1-11

Pics: Martin Brunty

A goal from Neil McCann in the 12^th minute was the score that would prove the difference when St. Teresa’s travelled to Lisburn on Wednesday night and recorded a two point win over previously high riding Naomh Padraig at Kirkwood Park.

The West Belfast men took an early lead and maintained it throughout but the Lisburn side continued to press them hard throughout in what was a well-contested encounter.

St Teresa’s settled immediately and recycled the ball until Eoghan Hamill injected a bit of pace to get free and fist over.

Darren McCann then rose to help John Mallon’s dropping shot over, but both teams were guilty of some misses in the early stages.

However, St Teresa’s were looking that bit more threatening and this was exemplified in the 12th minute as Mallon put Niall McCann in to crash to the net.

St Patrick’s finally opened their account when goalkeeper Ruadhan McKenna came up to convert a two-point free before Mallon and Jude Rafferty traded further minors.

St. Teresas were starting to get on top and moved further ahead when  Mallon curled over superbly from outside the mark for a 2 pointer with Conor Mallon adding one soon after before Oisin Gorman replied from a free, but Pierce O Rawe replied to restore the six-point lead for St Teresa’s with 25 minutes gone.

Naomh Padraig finished the half strongly however as Oisin Gorman kicked his second free with Adam Patterson following from play, while in added time, McKenna came forward again to convert another long-range free to cut the St. Teresa’s lead to two at the break.

 Both sides missed opportunities at the start of the second half with the cross-field breeze making scoring difficult but Naomh Padraig looked to be in for a goal that would have edged them ahead but Gorman’s attempt rebounded of the bottom of the post.

The visitors replied immediately through Eoghan Hamill who pointed at the other end before Jude Rafferty hit back and the sides traded again through Conor O’Rawe and a Gorman free as the gap remained at two.

Gorman continued to provide a threat for the Kirkwood Park side and he came close again to finding the net but this time it was St Teresa’s goalkeeper Mark Small who would deny him before Rafferty floated over his third of the evening in the 53rd minute and the gap was down to one.

With five to play, the frame of the goal would again come to the visitors’ rescue as substitute Conuir Ewing’s firmly struck effort rebounded of the crossbar and it looked like it wasn’t going to be Naomh Padraig’s day.

St Teresa’s gave themselves a bit of breathing space late on as Darren McCann advanced to score and then Conor O’Rawe swapped passes to put a goal between them.

The last score would fall to Oisin Gorman who closed the gap to two with a fine point but that would be as close as the home team got with the visitors defence holding firm in the closing stages to earn their side two valuable points.

Naomh Padraig: R McKenna (0-4, 2xtpf); L Mulholland, Jack McMullan, JBroderick; Josh McMullan, B McMullan, S Burns; B McGirr, C Smyth; R Kennedy, O Gorman (0-4, 4f), C Burns; J Rafferty (0-3), A Patterson (0-1), E Dixon.
Subs: R Smyth for C Smyth (HT), C Ewing for E Dixon (58)

St. Teresas: M Small; P Johnston, C McGoldrick, A Dugan; C Mallon (0-1), E Connolly, C O’Rawe (0-2); D McCann (0-2), P O’Rawe (0-1); J Mallon (0-3, 1xtp, 1f), S Maguire, E Hamill (0-2); P McGoldrick, N McCann (1-0), A Taylor.
Subs: P Glennon for P Johnston (34), M Mallon for A Taylor (59), F Dugan for P McGoldrick (60+1).

Referee: Sean Elliott 

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