O’Neill’s Sportsware ACFL Division 1

All Saints 5-13 Tir na nOg 3-8

Despite conceding two goals in the opening 7 minutes, All Saints produced a performance

of pace and power to sweep aside the challenge of Tir na nOg in glorious sunshine at Quinn Park on Wednesday night.

For the first time this season the Ballymena side had the service of county players, Kavan Keenan and Paddy McAleer while James McDonnell has missed the previous two games but made a welcome return to the side.

It was visitors Tir na nOg who got off to the better start and Darragh Fagan fired to the All Saints net in the opening minute after the home defence got itself in a tangle.

They recovered however as Ronan McKillop, Patrick McAleer and McKillop again fired over to bring matters all square after five minute and Liam Bradley’s side looked to be gaining the upper hand.

Tir na nOg replied however and once again the towering Darragh Fagan was afforded acres of space as he fired past Ryan Stewart for the second time with only 7 minute on the clock.

The Ballymena side picked themselves up of the canvas again and with their defence tightening up considerably they began to take the game to the opposition.

Kavan Keenan pointed for his first score of the evening and his county counterpart, Paddy McAleer added another before Sean McVeigh set up the flying Keenan for a great goal to give the home side a lead they would never again lose.

McAleer added a point before Aaron McNeilly replied with the visitors first score for ten minutes as he converted a free and when the same player added another from play there was only one between the sides.

The Quinn Park side were sitting deep and pulling men behind the ball as they closed down the attacking challenge of their opponents and when they broke forward they broke at a pace that their opponents couldn’t live with.

Paddy McAleer replied with an All Saints point and then Patrick Ferris raced in from the byeline to send an audacious effort past Sean Paul McAtamney in the visitors goal.

Kavan Keenan added a point as Tir na nOg introduced Caoimhin Duffin for youngster Connor Hastings in an effort to plug the gaps that were suddenly appearing in defence.

It was to little avail as full-forward, Sean McVeigh pointed from a ‘Mark’ with Eamon Og McAllister replying with his first of the evening with 27 minutes gone.

Joshua Higgins added another for the Whitehill side to close the gap to five at the halfway point and at this stage the visitors must still have fancied their chances of a comeback in the second half.

Sean McVeigh came within a whisker of a third goal for the Ballymena men when he beat Sean Paul McAtamney in a race for a breaking ball but his first time ground shot came back of a post and was cleared to safety in the opening minute.

That third goal was not long arriving however and it was that man Keenan who again applied the finish in the 9^th minute after Darragh Fagan had converted as ‘45’ at the other end.

James McDonnell then raced clear to fist over as the pace and movement of the All Saints side continued to create openings and Paddy McAleer combined with Sean McVeigh to palm the ball to the net for a fourth in the 17^th minute.

Michael McCarry pointed with his first touch after replacing Ronan McKillop as both sides rang the changes and even at this stage it looked as good as over but to their credit the visitors kept battling away.

They were rewarded with two more pointed frees by Aaron McNeilly but again it brought a quick and decisive response from the home side with Shaun O’Callaghan getting forward for a point.

Connell Lemon put the game out of sight with the Saints fifth goal with three minutes remaining before Darragh Fagan was on hand to complete his hat-trick for Tir na nOg after Emmet Murray’s shot had been blocked into his path.

A good win for the division 1 new boys and their second in four outings and on this performance they look capable of give most sides a run for their money if they are at full strength.

Tir na nOg: have five points on board from their first three outings and will want to put this performance behind them and get back to winning ways soon and look capable of doing just that if they can get a few of their missing players back on board

All Saints: Ryan Stewart, Eoin Walsh, Michael Rea, James Gillan, Patrick Ferris, Shaun O’Callaghan, James McDonnell, Sean McVeigh, Emmet Killough, Cal O’Brien, Paddy McAleer, Kavan Keenan, Ronan McKillop, Peter McNicholl, Connell Killough.

Subs: Michael McCarry for Ronan McKillop, Joe Rafferty for Cal O’Brien, Charlie Metrustry for Kavan Keenan, Darach Bradley for Sean McVeigh

Tir na nOg: Sean Paul McAtamney, 2 Christy Sheerin, 3 Ciaran McGrellis, 4 Ryan Crilly, 5 Barry Magee, 6 Barry McCormick, 7 Aaron McNeilly, 8 Joshua Higgins 9 Cormac Devlin, 10 Aodhan Toland, 11 Eamon Og McAllister, 12 Oliver McAtamney, 13 Emmet Murray, 14 Darragh Fagan, 15 Connor Hastings

Subs: Caoimhin Duffin for Connor Hastings, Daniel Martin for Ethan Higgins, Kevin Sheerin for Oliver McAtamney,

Referee: Darren McKeown (St. Gall’s)

O’Neills Sportswear Antrim Football League Division One 

St Brigid’s 1-14 Creggan 0-8

St. Brigid’s came strong in the second half to maintain their unbeaten record and spoil that good opening to the season of Creggan at Musgrave Park on Wednesday night.

The home side produced a blistering ten minute spell where they hit 9 points on the bounce and put the game out of sight of a Creggan side who had been giving as good as they got up to this juncture in proceedings.

St. Brigid’s led from first whistle, but Creggan were right on their shoulder for 42 minutes when the hosts went into overdrive to put real daylight between the teams on what was a sunny evening in the city.

Both sides went into this game on maximum points so something had to give and it was the home side who found their shooting boots when it mattered after a fairly balanced opening half where both sides missed chances.

Creggan’s Joe McAteer had a shot drop onto the top of the crossbar, then bounce up onto the post and back into play and this was perhaps a sign of things to come for Kickham’s.

Eventually, James Smyth opened the scoring with a point after five minutes and while Conor Small responded with the first of his six points of the evening from a mark, Smyth would then burst through on 11 minutes and finish past Oisin Kerr.

This gave the home side a lead they would never again relinquish, but they failed to build on their early success as chances went astray and the visitors were still well in contention at the halfway stage.

McAteer was impressing for the Staffordstown Road side and he placed Keelan McCann for a fine Creggan score, while Conan McNicholl hit back with a free for the Biddies to leave that goal between them after 14 minutes.

 It took another 13 minutes before the next score arrived as Conor Small placed Tiernan McLarnon to fire over and Small kicked an injury-time free to narrow the gap to one at the halfway stage with St Brigid’s leading 1-2 to 0-4.

It took a while for the second half to spring into action but eventually this game came to life with Oran Downey finishing two fine moves to leave a goal between them and although Small replied with a pair of frees to leave the minimum in it once more, it was the hosts who found another gear.

They would hit nine points without reply to put themselves in a commanding position with the impressive James Smyth fisting over to spark them into life. Conor McAleer then converted a free before half-time substitute Peter Lundy split the posts and then set up Ronan Boyle and suddenly there was five between them.

Creggan were finding it difficult to find a man from their kick-outs as St. Brigid’s pushed up and were winning nearly everything that was thrown at them and after Michael Cummings added another to put six between them, it would get worse for the visitors on 49 minutes as Tiernan McLarnon was shown black for a drag down.

McAleer kicked the free but there was no let-up from St Brigid’s as Niall Duffy got in on the act. McAleer added another free and Smyth brought his tally for the evening to 1-3 as the gap was now out to 10 in a period where the home side were totally dominant.

The game was over now and although Small kicked frees either side of a McAleer point for the home side, they were mere consolation scores with Joseph Finnegan close to putting a real gloss on it for the hosts late, but his shot canoned off the bar.

It wouldn’t matter as the points were long since secured by St Brigid’s who maintained their winning start to the season.

St. Brigid’s: D Heery; F McKernan, P King, J McCarney; R Carleton, J Finnegan, S Campnell; R Boyle (0-1), M Cummings (0-1); J Logue, O Downey (0-2), J Smyth (1-3); N Duffy (0-1), C McNicholl (0-1f), C McAleer (0-4, 3f).
Subs: P Lundy (0-1) for J Logue (HT), J Toner for J McCarney (54), R McErlean for C McNicholl (54), S Boyle for M Cummings (58), B McGurk for P King (58).

Creggan: O Kerr; C McCann, E Carey-Small, Jake McAteer; A Maguire, R McCann, O Hampsey; K McCann (0-1), D McGuckin; S Duffin, Joe McAleer, T McLarnon (0-1); D McAteer, A McKeown, C Small (0-6, 5f, 1m).
Subs: P Coey for A McKeown (HT), D McCann for D McGuckin (53), S McAuley for O Hampsey (57).

Referee: R Matthews (Rossa)