O’Neill’s Sportswear ACFL Division 2

Davitt’s 0-12 Aldergrove 0-8

Davitt’s recovered from a slow start to beat Aldergrove in Wednesday evening’S Division 2 League game at Davitt Park, a win that lifts them into the top half of the table.

Aldergrove, who have been riding high in recent weeks, started the game strongly and after nine minutes they led by 0-3 to 0-0, the points coming from Declan Gough, in the opening minute, Brian McQuillan in the5th minute and full forward Seamus McGarry in the 9^th. Everything appeared to be going to plan for the Crumlin men, but incredibly they would not score again for the remainder of the opening half as slowly but surely Davitt’s began to find their feet. Man of the match Gerard Slane opened their account from a long range free on 13 minutes and two minutes later full forward Caoimhan Slane added another. A great move, the length of the field saw Sullivan draw the Falls Road men level on 17 minutes and they hit the front for the first time when Gerard Slane converted his second free on 21 minutes. Davitt’s controlled build up was working wonders and they went on to add three more before half time through Jay Maguire, Gerad Slane and Caoimhan Slane to lead by 0-7 to 0-3 at the break.

Aldergrove ended a 25 minutes scoreless spell with a point in the fourth minute of the second half, as centre forward Brian McQuillan hit the target but man of the match Slane came back with one at the other end to restore the home side’s four point cushion.  Two quick points from Seamus McGarry and Ronan Hanna brought Aldergrove back to within two at the end of the third quarter and things began to look more positive for the visitors, but Slane came back with his fifth point of the game to widen the gap to three.

With ten minutes left to play Aldergrove corner forward Ronan Hanna got his team back to within two with a well taken point, but yet again Slane had a reply. Seamus McGarry grabbed another point for the visitors on 60 minutes, but Conor Dobbin had the final say for Davitt’s to seal a four point win.

DAVITT’S

Liam McGivern, Caoimhin Rainey, Jason Park, Conor Toner, John Sullivan, Anto Morgan, Jack scally, Anthony Rowntree, Michael Connolly, Christopher Laverty, Gerard Slane, Jay Maguire, Padraig McParland, Caoimhan Slane, Nathan Maginn.

ALDERGROVE

Shane O’Neill, David Aiken, Eoin Gough, Christopher McVeigh, Conor Browning, Andy Flood,  Gerard Mallon, Christopher Browning, Conleth Hendron, Declan Gough, Brian McQuillan, Ryan Owens, Ronan Hanna, Seamus McGarry, Oisin Graham.

Referee – Colin Mallon

O’Neill’s Sportswear ACFL Division One 

Aghgallon 0-08-2-05 Lámh Dhearg 

Kevin Herron reports from Pairc Na nGael 

First half goals from Adam Murray and Terry McCrudden proved decisive as Lámh Dhearg chalked up their fifth victory on the spin with a hard fought 2-05-0-08 win over Aghagallon at Pairc Na nGael on Sunday afternoon. 

The hosts were five unbeaten with four wins and a draw from their last reversal at home on April 12^th, whilst Lámh Dhearg were hoping to make it five wins on the spin after a slow start to their league campaign. 

It was the Hannahstown side that were first off the mark through a floated point from Declan Lynch, though Gareth Magee levelled things up from a converted free. 

A foul on Michael Hynds lead to Declan Dunne restoring his sides lead from a free and the red hands would find the game’s opening goal after ten minutes. 

Terry McCrudden forced a turnover in his sides defensive third and switched the ball to Michael Hynds to stride forward. 

Hynds picked out Carl Maxwell and he in turn found Adam Murray, who weaved his way into a shooting position and saw his deflected effort loop into the net to move his side 1-02-0-01 ahead. 

Adam Murray gets his shot away and Declan Dunne watches on as it is deflected into the net

Aghagallon responded midway through the half when Magee slipped the ball to Jamie Lamont to drop a shot over. 

Carl Maxwell would restore his sides four-point lead almost instantly, popping over after Declan Dunne’s lay-off on a breakaway attack. 

Things got much better for the Lámhs as they hit their second goal of the half on 23 minutes. The visitors showed patience in abundance and continued to keep hold of possession until the right moment when Paddy Mervyn fisted the ball to Terry McCrudden and his scuffed shot found the bottom corner to give his side a 2-03-0-02 lead. 

Aghagallon would finish the half with three unanswered points to cut the deficit before the break. 

Jamie Lamont doubled his personal tally for the half and converted frees from Hugh Hannon and Gareth Magee ensured their side trailed 2-03-0-05 at the break. 

Aghagallon picked up where they left off at the interval as Magee kicked his third free of the afternoon a few minutes after the break. 

Declan Dunne and Carl Maxwell then caught the hosts napping and took advnatage when the later swung over his second point of proceedings, from Dunne’s quickly taken free. 

The hosts hit back immediately with Eunan Walsh floating a shot between the posts and a further free from Magee had two-points separating the sides with ten-minutes remaining. 

Declan Dunne would kick his second free of the afternoon to open up a goal advantage as the game creeped towards it conclusion. 

Aghagallon pushed for a goal that would have saw them salvage a share of the spoils in added time. 

John Finucane was forced to turn away a goal bound effort and then Eunan Walsh worked an opportunity from the follow-up and his effort rose and struck the large post and came out. 

Lámh Dhearg would see through a nervy few minutes to make it five wins in a row and bring to an end Aghagallon’s fine run of late. 

Aghagallon: D O’Hagan, A Mulholland, D McAlernon, P Branigan, C Maginnis, J Lamont (0-02), P Gowdy, D Donnelly, J Lenehan, J Hannon, E Walsh (0-01), P Maginnis, E McCartan, G Magee (0-04f), H Hannon (0-01f). 

Lámh Dhearg: J Finucane, F Mervyn, M McGarry, P Larkin, D Smyth, D Lynch (0-01), M Hynds, P Mervyn, M McElgunn, C Maxwell (0-02), S McManus, C Murray, T McCrudden (1-00), D Dunne (0-02f), A Murray (1-00).Subs: Ross Murray for F Mervyn (40), K Fay-Kelly for A Murray (44), D Martin for M McElgunn (56), E Stanley for C Maxwell (60+1). 

Referee: Darren McKeown (Naomh Gall)

ACFL Division 2

All Saints 4-13 St. Patrick’s Lisburn 0-9

Ronan ‘Rhino’ McKillop showed his reaction to being substituted at Aldergrove last Wednesday night, and undoubtedly the reaction his manager Liam Bradley would have wanted, when he top scored for All Saints against St. Patrick’s Lisburn in Ballymena on Sunday.

McKillop scored 2-3 for the home side, all from play and with his partner in crime, Benny McDonnell was a constant threat to a St. Patrick’s side who are still looking for their first win in the division having gained promotion from division 3 last year.

McDonnell has hit a rich vein of form in recent weeks and has been a consistent scorer from both play and frees and he contributed another impressive 1-5 as his side coasted to a convincing victory over the Lisburn side.

Luke O’Rawe is another who has stepped up to the plate. The big duel player played most of his football for the reserve side prior to this year but Liam Bradley obviously saw something that previous managers have missed and big Luke has answered the call and weighed in with 1-1 on Sunday.

All Saints have 19 points from 11 starts this season with 8 wins and three draws and as they go into the second half of the season after the split, they will probably look back with some regret at those draws.

In all three occasions All Saints led going into the closing stages but were caught and the one that will really rankle is their draw at Davitt’s where they led by five at one stage but lost their way and were fortunate in the end to get the draw.

However I’m sure ‘Baker’ Bradley and his backroom team would have taken what they have at the start of the season and while the league is only at the halfway stage they are in a fighting position for one of the promotion places.

All Saints: Ryan Stewart, Eoin Walsh, James Gillan, Cal O’Brien, Michael Read, Shaun O’Callaghan, James McDonnell (0-1) , Emmet Killough, Sean McVeigh, Ciaran McGarry, Kavan Keenan (0-1), Brendan McDonnell (1-5) , Matthew Downey, Ronan McKillop (2-3) , Luke O’Rawe (1-1).

Subs: Shea O’Brien for Emmet Killough, Peter McReynolds (0-1) for Kavan Keenan, Eoin Campbell (0-1) for Ciaran McGarry, Joe Rafferty for James Gillan

ACFL Division 3

Rasharkin 4-10 St. Agnes 0-6

The Rasharkin bandwagon keeps on rolling and on Sunday at Dreen it was the turn of St. Agnes to feel the force of the division 3 juggernaut as they made it 11 wins from 11 starts as they continue their relentless journey back to division 2.

The Aggies were just about hanging in there as half time approached as they trailed 1-5 to 0-3 but when youngster, Oisin Casey got in for his side’s second goal as the game went into time added on, they looked in trouble.

It was the men from Dreen who opened the scoring from an Oran McMullan point with Ronan Carroll replying for the visitors from a free to draw level after 6 minutes but St. Mary’s began to settle and hit three on the bounce through Shane Hasson, Ryan Lynch and Oran McMullan.

The Aggies first point from play and their second of the game came from that man Carroll in the 13^th minute and at this stage there was only two between the sides but it brought a decisive response from the ‘Hoops’.

Eammon McNeill struck with the game’s opening goal in the 15^th minute after Thomas ‘Tucker’ McMullan won possession and sent the number 14 through on goal and he played a sharp 1-2 with Shane Hasson before finishing from close range.

Oisin Casey added a point before Roan Carroll brought his and his side’s total to 0-3 with a point in the 30^th minute to close the gap to five and the visitors would probably have settled for that going into the dressing room but there was one more play remaining in the half.

Oisin Casey has emerged in recent weeks as a real find for the home side and he continued to build his reputation when he got through on goal and fired through keeper Colum Carroll’s legs to leave eight between the sides at the change of ends.

Half time score: Rasharkin  2-5(11)  St Agnes 0-3(3)

To their credit St. Agnes did better at the start of the second half with Cormac McBride replying to Eammon McNeill’s opening point but when Ryan Lynch fired home the Dreen side’s third goal after 7 minutes it was as good as over.

The city side kept battling away and replied with points from David McGaharan and a great point from Paul McClenaghan in the 11^th minute but the league leaders were always able to respond with Shane Hasson splitting the posts in the 14^th minute.

Ryan Lynch added two more before St. Agnes best player, Ronan Carroll struck their final point from play with five minutes remaining but again it brought a strong reaction from the home side.

Jack Quinn got his name on the score sheet as he pointed a free and Donagh Quigg was rewarded for his hard work over the hour when he scored his side’s fourth goal of the game in the 29^th minute to conclude the scoring.

Another clinical performance from a Rasharkin team who suffered relegation last year but have set about making an immediate return to the higher division and on the evidence of what we have seen to date that project is well on course.

Rasharkin: 1 – Andrew Hasson, 2 – Pearse Kelly, 3 – Emmet McFerran, 4 – Daniel Doherty, 5 – Fearghal Kennedy, 6 – Donagh Quigg, 7 – Fergus Quigg, 8 – Ruairi OBoyle, 9 – Cathal Mooney

10 – Oran McMullan, 11 – Thomas McMullan, 12 – Oisin Casey, 13 – Ryan Lynch, 14 – Eammon McNeill, 15 – Shane Hasson

Subs Used:

Cormac McMullan, Jack Quinn, Killian O’Boyle, Colm Kennedy,Pearse McTague

St. Agnes: 1 Colum Carroll, 2 Patrick Carroll, 3 Mark Caldwell, 4 Killian McCormick, 5 Cormac McCann, 6 Declan Crummey, 7 Paul McClenaghan, 8 David Quigley, 9 James Halleron, 10 David McGaharan, 11 Conal Turley, 12 Cormac McBride, 13 Neil Gillespie, 14 Ronan Carroll, 15 Kevin Grieve.

Subs: 17 Kealan McAllister, 18 Peter McCullough, 19 Mark McLaughlin, 20 Paddy Toner

Referee: Richard Leahy