ACFL Division 2

Cuchullain’s 0-11 Davitt’s 2-10

Cuchullain’s Dunloy appear to be running out of road following this five point defeat to Davitt’s in Dunloy on Sunday. The Cuchullian’s find themselves firmly fixed at the bottom of the table with St. Patrick’s Lisburn and will need to get it together sooner rather than later with one game remaining to the split.

It was Davitt’s who raced into attack right from the throw in and Conor McGilligan was forced to get down sharp to deny Sean O’Neill after 45 seconds with the ball cleared to safety.

Michael Og Rowntree pointed the visitors ahead after 5 minutes but Declan McGarry replied with the equaliser, two minutes later and the same player edged them ahead with another in the 9^th minute.

Playing with the wind at their back, Barry McCloskey replied to a point from Padraig McParland to keep the home side one ahead at the end of the opening quarter but the visitors were beginning to get on top with Anthony Rowntree and the deep lying Sean O’Neill dictating matters at mid-field.

Davitt’s produced a decisive move in the 16^th minute with several players involved in the build-up and Anton Hargan placed Michael Og Rowntree who blasted to the net to give his side a lead they would not again lose.

This score seemed to lift the visitors and Gerard Slane soloed through for a fine individual point and added another after being placed by Sean O’Neill to move the visitors four in front.

The momentum was very much with the Falls Road side as Padraig McParland split the posts following good work from substitute CJ Sullivan and then Dunloy lost Peter McQuillan to injury to be replaced by Kevin McQuillan.

Kevin ‘Red’ McAllister replied with Dunloy’s first point for 15 minutes but the final score of the half fell to the visitors with Jay Maguire splitting the posts to leave Davitt’s 1-6 to 0-4 ahead at the break and with the wind to face in the second half, it wasn’t looking good for the home side.

CJ Sullivan increased the Davitt’s lead as he raced forty yards with the ball before firing over after 40 seconds but Dunloy settled after this and began to move the ball around through the hands and keep possession.

Kevin McQuillan replied from a free, Declan McGarry added another from play and another converted free from substitute McQuillan had the Cuchullian’s back into contention and trailing by three with five minutes of the new half gone.

The visitors replied immediately with a point from Daniel Wallace but Dunloy were now playing with a bit of belief and McQuillan pointed his third free of the half to keep their hopes of a comeback very much alive.

Gerard Slane for Davitt’s and Kevin McQuillan for Dunloy exchanged further points to keep the gap at three with 13 minutes of the half gone and Davitt’s had been forced onto the back foot for a time but they broke at pace from defence with the ball breaking to Daniel Wallace who‘s first time volley ended in the net.

Once again it was the home side’s captain, Kevin McQuillan who struck his fifth point from a free in the 21^st minute but Dunloy needed a goal and they could find no way through the visitors defence though they did have one attempt cleared off the line.

The closing stages saw Davitt’s back in control with Gerard Slane moving them six ahead once more and Declan McGarry replying with a consolation point for the Cuchullian’s but it was too little, too late.

Dunloy now find themselves on 1 point from 10 starts with St. Patrick’s Lisburn on the same total but having played a game more. Dunloy entertain Con Magee’s, Glenravel on Thursday night in the final game before the split.

The night before Davitt’s host unbeaten St. James’ Aldergrove at Davitt’s Park and a win over the Crumlin side would see them climb above Sarsfield’s who have the same number of points but have a superior score difference.

Sarsfields have also one game to play against Aldergrove. The previous meeting between the sides was abandoned owing to a serious injury to a Sarsfield’s player but whether this game can be re-arranged before the split remains to be seen

Dunloy: 1 Conor McGilligan, 2 Cathair McCloskey, 3 Adrian Scullion, 4 Oisin McErlain, 5 Tom McFerran, 6 James Scally, 7 Sean Scullion, 8 Peter McQuillan, 9 Eoin McFerran, 10 Anthony Smith, 11 Eoin Gillan, 12 Rory Smyth, 13 Kevin McAllister, 14 Declan McGarry, 15 Barry McCloskey.

Subs:  Kevin McQuillan for Peter McQuillan, Michael Traynor for Oisin McErlaine, Darragh Waterson for Sean Scullion

Davitt’s: 1 Liam McGivern, 2 Nathan Maginn, 3 Caomhin Rainey, 4 Christoir Browne, 5 Caoimhin Slane, 6 Anton Hargan, 7 Deaglan Mooney, 8 Niall McParland, 9 Anthony Rowntree, 10 Padraig McParland, 11 Gerard Slane, 12 Jay Maguire, 13 Daniel Wallace, 14 Michael Og Rowntree, 15 Sean Og O’Neill. Subs: CJ Sullivan for Declan Mooney, Anto McGrattan for Jay Maguire

Referee: Karol Doherty (Rasharkin)

Antrim Football League – Division 2

Glenavy 1-12 Glenravel 0-09

Con Magees will look back on a game of too many missed chances. They only converted nine scores from twenty three attempts and that effectively is the story of the game. Combined with too many frees conceded by the visitors when the opposition’s sharp shooting freetaker Fergal Henry was in fine form gave Con Magees a mountain to climb – a mountain that proved just too much on the day. This defeat seriously dents the Glenravel men’s promotion hopes, and as the league nears the half way stage they fall further behind both All Saints and Aldergrove, both of whom had good wins today.

Glenravel opened well with a brace of points from Eoin Hynds but Fergal Henry was running riot up front for the men in Orange and he would score five on the trot in an impressive ten minute spell to nudge his side ahead by three. However Glenravel would then take back control with a run of points from Daniel McQuillan (3) and Eoin Hynds to leave the half time score 0-06 to 0-05 in favour of Glenravel.

Glenavy started very strongly in the second half with three consecutive frees from Fergal Henry (2) and Malachi Doherty to put the home side two in front ten minutes into the second half. Two minutes later we saw the pivotal moment of the game when Glenavy keeper Stephen Daly made a great point blank save from Charlie Henry denying him a goal and twenty seconds later Glenavy had a goal of their own when Fergal Henry converted from short range, effectively opening a five point lead for the home side, when they could have been a point in arrears had it not been for the agility of Daly. Both teams would trade scores to the end of the game but Glenravel couldn’t make inroads on the deficit and ultimately declared six points short. They will look back despairingly on their poor return from twenty three efforts – albeit three of them came off the woodwork and were cleared.

ACFL Division 1

St John’s 2-09 Erin’s Own Cargin 2-09

A 59^th minute point by their hard grafting centre forward David Johnston earned Cargin a share of the spoils with their hosts St John’s in a close fought encounter at Corrigan Park on Saturday.

A close game from start to finish kept the good attendance well entertained throughout, and in the end the sides could not be separated with Johnston’s late finish tying matters at the final whistle.

The penultimate games in the first phase of the league competition saw St John’s play hosts to their country cousins from Cargin on Saturday morning and the good crowd in attendance were to be treated to an entertaining game.

Cargin took the game to the opposition right from the start but spurned a couple of gilt edged opportunities and it was the home side’s Loughlan McCurdy who made no such error, grabbing a goal in his side’s first attack.

The home side’s keeper Stephen Mc Guinness made a smart save to deny David Johnston in the 3^rd minute but the Toome men were on par shortly thereafter as Justin Crozier’s precise lay off opened the way for Tom Shivers to find the net.

Conor Adams pointed a free to restore the home side’s lead but it was the visitors who responded and points from James Laverty and Pat Shivers saw them take an early 1-2 to 1-1 lead.

Back came the Johnnies at the end of the opening quarter and a strong run by mid fielder Conor Hand concluded with a precision based finish to the Cargin net and the home side were back in front.

The Johnnies lead didn’t last long however as their visitors gained supremacy in the vital central zone through Gerard McCann and John Carron and Carron sent Pat Shivers in to raise white before adding a point himself.

The restored their lead when Michael McCann placed Kevin Mc Shane to raise white but it was the home side who were to finish the half on as the accurate Conor Adams despatched back to back frees between the posts to see the Corrigan side 2-03 to 1-04 ahead at the break.

St. John’s started the second half as they had finished the first and back to back pointed frees from the impressive Conor Adams moved the four ahead but Cargin were quick to reply and points from Michael McCann and  Pat Shivers (2) saw them on back on level terms.

The Toome men were flexing their proverbial muscles as the second half progressed and a positive approach opened the way for Mark Kelly to fire to the back of the net to put them three ahead.

Cargin looked to be taking control as the game moved into the final quarter when replacement Conan Johnston fired between the posts to negate another fine point by Conor Adams.

The Whiterock side were far from finished however and a three unanswered points from Conor Adams, Ciaran Garland and Conall Mc Glade ensured parity 2-08 apiece as full time approached.

The visitors regained the lead when Justin Crozier, found Tom Shivers in space with the youngster firing straight and true between the posts.

A 56^th minute Conaill Mc Glade point followed but the last score was to belong to the Toome men as David Johnston split the posts to earn his side a share of the spoils.

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St Johns: Stephen McGuinness, Ciaran Garland (0-01), Padraig Nugent, Conor Dyson, Conaill Mc Glade (0-02), Conor Johnston, Luke Peden, Conor Hand (1-00), Simon Mc Donagh, Sean Wilson, Andy Mc Gowan, Loughlin Mc Curdy (1-00), Conor Adams (0-06) Stephen Tierney

Subs

Conall Quinn

Ronan Quinn

Darragh Mc Callan

Cargin: John Mc Nabb, Sean og Quinn, Kevin Mc Shane (0-01), Paudie Mc Laughlin, Justin Crozier (0-01), James Laverty (0-01), Ronan Grbbin, Gerard Mc Cann, John Carron, Mark Kelly (1-00), David Johnston (0-01),Pat Shivers (0-03), Tom Shivers (1-01), Michael Mc Cann (0-01), Ciaran Bradley

Subs: Conan Johnston (0-01)

Gerard Mc Corley

Referee: B Toland (L Dhearg)