ACFL Division 1

St Mary’s Ahoghill 0-09 Casements Portglenone 2-13

Following a defeat on home soil last week, Casement’s got their bid for a first division 1 title back on track when they proved too strong for their near neighbours St Mary’s Ahoghill before a big attendance at Clooney on Wednesday evening.

That defeat to Cargin may well have sewn some seeds of doubt and they were only a point ahead of the home side at the half time but they went on to dominate the second half.

There was little between the sides during the opening exchanges as James O’ Connell’s opening point for Ahoghill found quick reply at the other end as Paddy Kelly raised white.

Gerard Graham nudged the home side ahead with a 4^th minute point but the visitors replied again and Ciaran McKenna brought the sides level for the second time.

A Fionbar O’ Neill point delivered in splendour from distance saw the Clooney men ahead and Paddy Kelly and Gerard Graham swapped further points before the visitors struck for the game’s opening goal.

Conor McGee made a strong run on the left wing to finish in style to the back of the net to see the Casement’s men take the lead and when Paddy Kelly followed with another point they were at 1-04 to 0-04 ahead.

The home side responded in the latter stages of the half however and pointed frees from Gerard Graham and James O’ Connell closed the gap to the minimum.

 A late black card to the home side’s Patrick Graham, who had been dominant at mid-field was to cost the Clooney men with Casement’s leading by the narrowest of margins, 1-05 to 0-07 at the break.

Portglenone took advantage of the extra man at the start of the second half and a couple of early points from replacement Conor Mc Aleese and Ruairi Hagen and a goal from Oisin Doherty put them in control.

The visitors went on to dominate as points from Caolan Tierney and Oisin Doherty ensured a hefty 2-09 to 0-07 lead at the end of the third quarter and the Bannsider’s, with Niall McKeever dominant at mid-field were on their way to victory.

A Paddy Kelly point from an acute left sided angle received answer in kind at the other end from the back in harness Patrick Graham but the end result looked inevitable.

The league leaders finished strongly as replacement Conor McAleese, who looks like a youngster with a big future, added his second point before Ronan Delargy came forward to fist another.

Gerard Graham came forward to add another point to his personal tally but the last say was to belong to the visitors as an injury time Michael Kelly point ensured a 2-13 to 0-09 winning verdict.

The future of the league title is now very much back in Portglenone’s hands. A win or even a draw to Creggan in their last game would see them crowned champions but defeat to the Kickham’s and a win for Cargin over Ahoghill would hand the Toome side the honours.

Ahoghill: Noel Crossey, D Graham, James Magee, Harry O’ Donnell, Gerard Graham (0-04), Fionnbar O’ Neill (0-01), Patrick Graham (0-01), Tom Mc Glone, Danny O’ Neill, Donal Graham, Conor Crossey, Ronan Graham (0-01), James O’ Connell (0-03)

Subs

Patrick Dougan

PJ O’ Connell

Casements: Rian O’ Neill, Ronan Delargy (0-01), Daniel Mc Nicholl, Jonny Convery, Caolan Tierney (0-01), Niall Delargy (0-01), Conor Mc Ghee (1-00), Stephen Kelly, Niall Mc Keever, Michael Hagen, Ruairi Hagen, Ronan Kelly, Oisin Doherty (1-01), Paddy Kelly (0-05)

Subs

Conor Mc Aleese (0-02)

Eamon Mc Garry (0-01)

Referee: Colm Mc Donald (St. Gall’s)

O’Neill’s Sportswear Football League – Division 1

Naomh Eoin 1-9 Naomh Bríd 0-6

St Brigid’s battle for survival in Division 1 of the Antrim Football League was made a lot harder after Wednesday evening’s defeat to St John’s at Corrigan Park. Ironically the Musgrave Park men dominated the first twenty minutes of the game as they had the lion’s share of possession, but solid defending by the Johnnies meant the visitors had to shoot mostly from distance and their efforts to find the target were poor to say the least.

With both team short a good few regulars St Brigid’s started with a world of possession but it was 12 minutes before they raised their first flag, as corner forward James Smith sent over a point from a free. Jack Dowling got their second on 19 minutes and things looked promising for the visitors, but when Lorcan Heenan got St John’s opening score on 21 minutes things began to change.

Suddenly the Johnnies had found a bit of rhythm and with Paddy McBride making his influence felt more and more the home side found a higher gear. McBride added a second point on 23 minutes and three minutes later they hit the front when a pass from half back Conal McGlade found Lorcan Heenan in front of goal the corner forward fired the ball home. St Brigid’s were at sixes and sevens but to their credit they fought back in the dying minutes of the first half and points from James Smith and John Morgan brought them back to within a point by the time referee Ray Matthews blew the half time whistle.   

When the sides came out for the second half an early Stephen Tiernan point helped St John’s take control of the game. With McBride in great form the Corrigan Park side pinned their visitors back in their own half, hitting five points without reply, two of them from McBride, the second of which was the score of the game.

St Brigid’s ended a 22 minute scoreless spell with Smith’s third point of the game and when Enda Downey added a fine score soon afterwards there was renewed hope for the visitors. However that was to be their lot and St John’s regained their composure to finish strongly with another Paddy McBride point and one from Ciaran Garland to end up winning by double scores.

 St Brigid’s are in trouble, but they can still save themselves if they get results in their two remaining games. On Sunday they take on fellow strugglers Naomh Eanna at Musgrave Park, before travelling the short journey to the Bog Meadows next Wednesday evening to take on St Gall’s, while with no such worries St John’s can look forward to the start of the championship in two weeks’ time.

ACFL Division 1B

St. Enda’s 0-6 Tir na nOg 3-9

Tir na nOg moved a giant step closer to division 1 survival with a resounding win over fellow relegation strugglers, St. Enda’s at Higfhtowon on Wednesday night.

Both sides went into this game realistically knowing that they needed a win to stave off the threat of relegation and on the evidence of tonight’s performance the Glengormley side look in serious danger of making the drop while The Randalstown men have given themselves a fighting chance.

St. Enda’s won the toss but elected to play into the fresh breeze that blew from the clubhouse end and early on it was the Hightown side who made the running and mid-fielder, Philip Curran pointed them ahead after 9 minutes.

Darragh Fagan fired over the equaliser after Sean Paul McAtamney had come off his line to deny Ronan O’Neill who looked in for a St. Enda’s goal.

The opening goal did arrive but it was at the other end when a patience build up by the visitors resulted in Aaron McNeilly getting in behind the home defence and he fired past Michael O’Boyle to give his side a lead they would not lose for the remainder of the game.

That goal came in the 17^th minute and two minutes later Darragh Fagan had stretched the visitors lead to five with a point from play and another from a free as Tir na nOg began to play with a bit of freedom.

Odhran Eastwood, who was St. Enda’s main scoring threat throughout, pulled one back from a free in the 24^th minute but Aaron McNeilly concluded the scoring from a free for the Whitehill side to leave it 1-4 to 0-2 at the break.

With the slight breeze now at their backs, St. Enda’s needed a good start to the second half but in the event it was Tir na nOg who were quickly out of the starting blocks as Barry McCormick pointed after 40 seconds.

The home side were feeding off scraps as the visitors defence continued to dominate but Odhran Eastwood got them on their way from a pointed free with Darragh Fagan replying from a free at the other end.

Eastwood was busting a gut to get his side going and he looked in for a goal in the 9^th minute but his well struck shot was superbly pushed over by Sean Paul McAtamney in the Tir na nOg goals.

The same player added another point to close the gap to four as Naomh Eanna enjoyed a short period of supremacy but Tir na nOg made a decisive response with Eamon Og McAllister firing to the net at the other end to move them seven ahead after 12 minutes.

Ciaran O’Neill, who had a good game for the visitors set up McAllister for his goal and two minutes later Darragh Fagan fired home a third and it was as good as over, despite their being 15 minutes still to play.

Donal Walsh pulled one back for Naomh Eanna in the 16^th minute but it would be their final score and the rampant visitors could afford the luxury of missing a penalty with Aaron McNeilly firing his spot kick over.

McNeilly was excellent over the hour and he added another from play with corner back, Brandon McLarnon getting forward to split the uprights after a strong run from defence to conclude the scoring.

A precious brace of points for Tir na nOg which sees them climb to third place in division 1B on 13 points, one place behind St. Galls who defeated St. Ergnat’s at Marian Hill and also have 13 but have a game in hand.

This defeat leaves Naomh Eanna firmly fixed to the bottom of the table and with away games to St. Brigid’s, Moneyglass and St. Gall’s to come they look in serious trouble.

Nothing has been decided yet however and with two teams to be relegated the battle is likely to go on until the final game of the season.

Naomh Eanna: 1 Michael O’Boyle, 2 Conor Maxwell, 3 Diarmuid McNulty, 4 Killian Jennings, 5 Owen Kennedy, 6 Conan Lyttle, 7 Ronan O’Neill, 8 Philip Curran, 9 Fionntan O’Connor, 10 Ronan Kalla, 11 Donal Walsh, 12 Joe Maskey, 13 Michael Morgan, 14 Fionn Nagle, 15 Odhran Eastowood

Tir na nOg: 1 Sean Paul McAtamney, 2 Ryan Crilly, 3 Ciaran McGrellis, 4 Brandon McLarnon, 5 Ciaran O’Neill, 6 Barry McCormick, 7 Caoimhin Duffin, 8 Sean Duffin, 9 Oliver McAtamney, 10 Aaron McNeilly, 11 Eamon Og McAllister, 12 Kevin Sheerin, 13 Aodhan Tolan, 14 Darragh Fagan, 15 Christy Sheerin

Referee: Eamon McAuley (Cargin)