Category / Football

by thesaffrongael

Rossa Back on Track after Dominant Display in Randalstown

ACFL Division 1

Full-Time: Tír na nÓg 1-11     O’Donovan Rossa 2-21

O’Donovan Rossa reignited their season on Wednesday night with a commanding victory over Tír na nÓg at Whitehill, leaving Randalstown with two valuable points after a performance defined by clinical first-half finishing.

The visitors signalled their intent from the first whistle, with Diarmaid Rogan slotting a point from play in the opening minute. When Colm Fleming followed up with a spectacular two-pointer shortly after, the home side looked visibly rattled. Despite Emmet Murray’s best efforts to rally Tír na nÓg with a well-taken point, Rossa responded with a devastating fifteen-minute blitz.

During this period, the Belfast men racked up 1-06 without reply. Eoin Fleming provided the highlight of the scoring run, slicing through a static Randalstown defence to fire over. The pressure culminated when Rogan collected the ball at the halfway line and sparked a “route one” attack; a swift exchange of passes saw the ball return to Rogan, who buried it into the back of the net to establish an 11-point cushion.

Tír na nÓg struggled with accuracy throughout the opening period, though Darragh Fagan managed to convert a free to stem the tide. At the other end, Rossa defender Patrick Moyes began to dictate play from the back, though his personal sat nav must have been faulty as he found himself foraging in the Randalstown half on a regular basis.

A moment of magic from Pauric Redmond, who curled over a point from an acute angle on the sideline, gave the home fans something to cheer about, but Rossa ensured they had the final say of the half with scores from Byrne and Rogan.

Half-Time: Tír na nÓg 0-03    Rossa 1-12

The Randalstown men emerged for the second half with renewed vigour, led by the industrious Ciaran O’Neill, who opened the scoring with a two-pointer. They were inches away from igniting a comeback when a goal bound effort struck the post and rebounded clear.

While Rossa’s scoring slowed—boosted only by efforts from Corey Walsh, McMenamin, and Grant—Tír na nÓg began to find their range. Darragh Fagan notched two consecutive scores as Rossa’s discipline started to waver under the increasing pressure.

However, the mountain was too high to climb. Despite a spirited late surge that saw Ciaran O’Neill find the net and add another two-pointer, Rossa’s victory was never really in doubt. Rogan added two more to his personal tally before the ever-dangerous Grego put the gloss on the score-line, bulging the net for the final score of the afternoon.

For Rossa, it is a vital return to form; for Tír na nÓg, the search for that elusive first win continues.

Tír na nÓg: 1. Sean-Paul McAtamney 2. Ryan Crilly 3. Brandon McLarnon 4. Manus Smith 5. Declan Mallon 6. Ciaran McGrellis 7. Aodhan Tolan(0-01) 8. Ciaran O’Neill (1-05) 9. Joshua Higgins 10. Connor Hastings 11. Darragh Fagan (0-03, 2f) 12. Emmet Murphy (0-01) 13. Pauric Redmond (0-01) 14.Conor McKenna 15. Alex O’Donnell

Rossa: 1. Michael Byrne (0-01) 2. Mattie McKernan 3. Patrick Moyes 4. Fiachra McDonald 5. Niall Crossan 6. Stephen Beatty 7. Peter Byrne (0-01) 8. Michael McEnhill 9. Eoghan McManamin (0-03) 10. Conal McDonald (0-02,1f) 11. Eoin Fleming (0-02) 12. Diarmaid Rogan (1-04) 13. Colm Fleming (0-03) 14. Ruairi McDonagh (0-02) 15. Corey Walsh (0-01) 16. Darren Grego (1-01) 17. Setanta McDonald 18. Rory Grant (0-01) 19.Kack McGurk 20. Oisin McVicker 21. Daire Morgan

Referee: Darren McKeown

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by thesaffrongael

St Gall’s hold off Moneyglass fightback to take the points

Antrim Football League – Division 1

Moneyglass 3-11 vs. St. Galls 2-16

In a high-scoring and entertaining Antrim Division 1 encounter, visitors St. Galls secured a narrow victory over home side Moneyglass (Naomh Eargnait), with St Gall’s ability to hit 2pointers playing a critical role in the final tallies. St. Galls’ explosive first half proved just enough to weather a fierce second-half comeback from Moneyglass, resulting in a 2-16 to 3-11 finish.

St. Galls came out of the blocks firing, opening the scoring just two minutes in with a point from Colm Walsh. They quickly established dominance, rattling off further points from Padraig Jnr O Muirigh, Daniel Quinn, and Gerard O’Neill to build an early lead. Moneyglass found their footing around the 9-minute mark through a point from Colm Duffin, who was a constant threat, adding another shortly after. However, St. Galls shifted into another gear midway through the half. Dubhaltach Wilson landed a crucial two-pointer on 16 minutes, which was immediately followed by a devastating one-two punch as goals from Barra McCaffrey at 20 minutes and Padraig Jnr O Muirigh at 21 minutes put the visitors in coontrol. Despite the onslaught, Moneyglass stayed in the fight, picking off points from Sean Boyd, Connor O Kane, and Aidan Mc Erlain, before Colm Duffin nailed a two-pointer of his own in the 28th minute to leave the halftime score at Moneyglass 0-07 to St. Galls 2-08.

The second half proved to be a thriller. St. Galls added early points through Barra McCaffrey and Daniel Quinn to keep the scoreboard ticking, but Moneyglass roared back into contention. Sean Boyd pointed in the 6th minute, sparking a massive momentum shift. In the space of two minutes, Moneyglass completely opened the game up with rapid-fire goals from Seanchan Duffin on 11 minutes and Tyler Cassidy on 13 minutes. Suddenly, the home side was within striking distance. St. Galls relied on their depth and experience to stay ahead, trading points with Moneyglass down the stretch. Dubhaltach Wilson added another point, while Conal Murray chipped in a vital score on 19 minutes. As the game reached its frantic conclusion, Sean Boyd found the back of the net for Moneyglass’s third goal in the 58th minute, setting up a grandstand finish. However, Gerard O’Neill stepped up for St. Galls right at the death with a decisive two-pointer in the 30th minute, clinching the game and ensuring the visitors walked away with a hard-fought win.

Looking at the overall scoring contributions, St. Galls had a wide spread of attackers finding the target. Barra McCaffrey led their charge with a goal and three points, followed closely by Padraig Jnr O Muirigh who tallied a goal and two points. Gerard O’Neill and Dubhaltach Wilson both contributed crucially with a point and a two-pointer each, while Daniel Quinn slotted over three points. Colm Walsh and an unlisted number 18 added a point apiece to round out their total.

On the Moneyglass side, Colm Duffin was the top scorer with a two-pointer and three points to his name. Sean Boyd was heavily involved in the second-half revival, securing a goal and two points, while Seanchan Duffin and Tyler Cassidy both found the net for a goal each. Aidan Mc Erlain added two points, and Connor O Kane finalized the home side’s tally with a single point.

Moneyglass: 1. Jamie McLaughlin, 2. Bobby Kennedy, 3. Zach McCaughan, 4. Matthew Mullen, 5. Callum Murray, 6. Paul Duffin, 7. Eunan Mc Erlain, 8. Seanchan Duffin, 9. Francis Duffin, 10. Sean Boyd, 11. Colm Duffin, 12. Connor O Kane, 13. Tyler Cassidy, 14. Aidan Mc Erlain, 15. Caolan Boyd.

St. Galls: 1. Chris Kerr, 2. Christopher Hale, 3. Gairech Mac Adhaimh, 4. Eoghan McCurdy, 5. Damien Ball, 6. Gerard O’Neill, 7. John McCaffrey, 8. Manus McCrossan, 9. Conaill Murray, 10. Aaron Mackel, 11. Daniel Quinn, 12. Dubhaltach Mac Liam, 13. Barra McCaffrey, 14. Colm Walsh, 15. Padraig Jnr O Muirigh.

by thesaffrongael

Spoils shared in Creggan

Antrim ACFL Division 1:

 St Mary’s Aghagallon 2-11 Kickham’s Creggan 1-14

Report and photos by Brian Hamill

St Mary’s Aghagallon and Kickham’s Creggan shared the spoils after a dramatic Division One encounter in Creggan on Wednesday evening, the sides finishing level on 17 points apiece after a stirring second-half comeback from the home side.

Aghagallon looked well on course for the points at the interval after a controlled opening half saw them establish a six-point cushion, 1-9 to 0-6. Their greater efficiency in front of goal and a strong spread of scorers left them in command, with their opening goal, by Ruairi McCann, giving them a platform they maintained through the second quarter.

Creggan, however, emerged with renewed intent after the turnaround and gradually chipped away at the deficit, driven by the accuracy of Shea McCann, who finished with points from open play and placed balls.

The key moment in the comeback arrived in the 50th minute when Creggan wing-back Dominic McAteer burst through to fire home a well-taken goal, levelling the contest at 1-10 to 1-10 and swinging momentum firmly in the hosts’ favour.

That parity was short-lived, however, as Aghagallon responded impressively. Within three minutes, they struck for their second major, with Gareth Magee finishing clinically to restore the visitors’ advantage and underline their attacking threat.

With the game in the balance entering the closing stages, Aghagallon appeared to have done enough when they nudged two scores clear, but Creggan refused to yield. Their use of the new two-point arc proved decisive in keeping them in contention.

The decisive moment came deep into added time when Jamie McCann stepped up to convert a superb two-point effort, tying the match at 1-14 to 2-11 and ensuring the spoils were shared after a contest that ebbed and flowed throughout.

Aghagallon will rue missed opportunities to close out the game, particularly after twice regaining the lead in the second half, but they can take encouragement from their attacking display.

Defensively, both sides had their moments, with Aghagallons keeper Luke Mulholland, saving two shots on goal and Creggan also registering key saves at vital junctures to keep themselves within reach before launching their late surge.

In the end, a draw was probably a fair reflection of a contest that saw spells of dominance from both sides, Aghagallon impressing early and Creggan finishing with a flourish to secure a hard-earned share of the points.

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by thesaffrongael

Casements Too Strong For Con Magees

ACFL Division 1

Portglenone 4 – 20    Glenravel 0 – 09

Portglenone got off to a blistering start in this round seven division one league encounter when Oisin Doherty posted three individual white flags within two minutes of referee Paddy Tumeltys whistle, and the home side never looked back. It may have turned out a bit differently had Casements keeper Kevin Mullan not got a fingertip to turn a speculative lob wide of his post to deny Harry Fyfe a certain goal, as within a minute Michael Donnelly sent Oisin Doherty through for Portglenone’s fourth point.

Glenravel responded with a trio of their own from David Higgins, Declan Trainor and Joe Martin to reduce the deficit to the minimum.

The second quarter saw Casements hit a purple patch with Oisin Doherty adding another duo to bring his individual point tally to six, whilst also supplying a delightful layoff to impressive youngster Tom Duffin who made no mistake from close range.

Ryan Lennon and Eamon Ward raised white flags for the visitors but the gap at half time had stretched to eleven and it looked a long way back for the visitors.

The second half saw Portglenone open up on the scoreboard with three green flags which effectively ended the game as a contest. Michael Donnelly goaled within thirty seconds of the restart, and a few minutes later Tom Duffin added his second major to cap another fine display. When Aidan McAleese added another a few minutes later this game was over as a contest.

Glenravel were missing a number of their county contingent, but to their credit never gave up the fight. Declan McAuley and another batch from impressive Ryan Lennon kept their tally ticking over but on this occasion they were simply outclassed.

Aidan McAleese was the star performer on view, the lanky midfielder dominated midfield proceedings while still taking time to contribute a goal and six points over the hour. Stephen Kelly contributed four late points too as the game filtered out to its inevitable conclusion.

Glenravel will provide a test for most when their full contingent return, and on the night Ryan Lennon, Joe Martin, David Higgins and Sean Higgins posted fine individual displays, whilst full back Eoin McCusker can be happy that he eventually got to terms with Casements Oisin Doherty after a shaky start.

For Casements it was good to see them play fast direct football and in a good all round team performance Oisin Doherty looked sharp, getting himself back amongst the scores, whilst Tom Duffin, Dermot McAleese, Conor McGhee, Shane Delargy Johnny Convery and particularly Aidan McAleese looked solid on the night.

Casements scorers; Aidan McAleese 1 – 06, Oisin Doherty 0 – 06, Tom Duffin 2 – 00, Stephen Kelly 0 – 04, Michael Donnelly 1 – 00, Ronan Kelly 0 – 02, Odhran Doherty 0 – 02.

Glenravel scorers; Ryan Lennon 0 – 04, David Higgins 0 – 01, Joe Martin 0 – 01, Declan McAuley 0 – 01, Eamon Ward 0 – 01, Declan Trainor 0 – 01.

Referee: Paddy Tumelty (Lamh Dhearg)

by thesaffrongael

St Brigid’s Turn on the Style in Dominant Victory Over St Paul’s

ACFL Division One

St Paul’s: 0-7 St Brigid’s: 1-24 – Venue: Shaw’s Road,

Belfast Referee: Kevin Parke

Played in ideal conditions on Wednesday evening, a slick-moving St Brigid’s side put on an absolute exhibition of attacking football. Making the short journey over to Shaws Road, the visitors were dominant from the first whistle to the last, securing an emphatic 20-point victory over hosts St Paul’s. The Musgrave Park side entered the tie determined to get their league campaign back on track after consecutive defeats to St Gall’s and Cargin left them with ground to make up. They did exactly that, finding their rhythm in spectacular fashion.

St Brigid’s flew out of the traps, setting the tone inside the opening 60 seconds when Reuben Carleton slotted a two-point free. Winning the ensuing kick-out, Niall Duffy cut inside with a terrific piece of skill and had the net at his mercy, only to be denied by an inspired save from St Paul’s goalkeeper Jack McAulfield, who played really well throughout, despite his team’s heavey defeat. It was a case of relentless attacking pressure. If not for McAulfield playing like a man possessed, the visitors would have had the game completely out of sight inside ten minutes. Jack Dowling, Dara Quinn, and JJ Higgins all mustered shots on goal, but the acrobatic stopper kept them at bay.

Eventually, following groans from the sideline urging them to take the easy points on offer rather than forcing goals, St Brigid’s adjusted their sights. Conor King fired over their first score from play, quickly followed by impressive strikes from inside the arc by James Smith and JJ Higgins. As St Paul’s struggled to retain possession in the middle of the park, Paul Bradley and Higgins kept the scoreboard ticking. The hosts finally got off the mark midway through the half when Shea Burns raised a white flag, hoping to eat into the eight-point deficit.

However, St Brigid’s response was instant. Higgins replied immediately, and Niall Duffy struck an exquisite point after spinning his defender inside out. While St Paul’s managed late points from Liam McKenna and Lorcan Phillips, St Brigid’s finished the half as they started it. Jack Dowling and Oran Downey both pointed to send the visitors into the changing rooms with a skip in their step and a commanding 11-point lead.

While St Paul’s late first-half flurry offered a glimmer of hope, St Brigid’s quickly extinguished it upon the restart, keeping their foot firmly on the throttle. Paul Bradley opened the second-half scoring, and Niall Duffy followed up with a quickfire brace. The South Belfast men then showcased their long-range accuracy, landing two massive two-point efforts from outside the arc: first, a drilled strike from the far-left by Carleton, followed by a thumping effort from Brian McGurk.

With confidence surging, St Brigid’s finally breached McAulfield’s defences to find the game’s only goal. Niall Duffy’s initial shot was tipped onto the inside of the post by the hard-working keeper, but the ball rolled perfectly into the path of the oncoming JJ Higgins, who smashed it into the empty net. St Paul’s continued to fight, with Ciaron Rogers-Duffy clipping over two late frees to marginally reduce the deficit. However, the visitors were relentless. McGurk pointed again, substitute Conan McNicholl planted his feet to drill a score, and Niall Duffy capped off a brilliant individual performance with his fifth point of the evening before the final whistle blew.

The result marks a superb return to form for St Brigid’s. Meanwhile, St Paul’s are left to lick their wounds; winless in four games, they now sit precariously above the relegation zone on score difference.

St Paul’s: Jack McAulfield; Cian McCann, Aodhan Kavanagh, Miceal Duffy; Niall McKenna, Conor Hughes, Mark Munce; James Farrell, Cormac Trainor; Patrick Crawford, Conall Duffy, Lorcan Phillips 0-1, Shea Burns 0-1, Liam McKenna 0-1, Ciaron Roger’s Duffy 0-3 (0-3f)

St Brigid’s: Fergus McCann; Aodhan McNicholl, Conor King 0-2, Joseph McCarney; Brian McGurk 0-3 (1xTP), Peter King, Reuben Carlton 0-4 (2xTP); Paddy Finnegan, Jack Dowling 0-1; Dara Quinn, Oran Downey 0-1 (0-1f), Paul Bradley 0-2; Niall Duffy 0-5, James Smith 0-2, JJ Higgins 1-3

Family affair. JJ Higgins was top scorer for St Brigid’s while his dad Lawrence was part of the St Paul’s management team

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