South West Antrim hosted a very successful P4/5 Festival of football in Cargin and Creggan on Sunday. The day began with a parade by the teams taking part, led by Dunloy piper, Eamon Downey and teams taking part at Cargin posed for photographs with county footballers, Conchuir Johnston and Eunan Quinn.
CREGGAN PICS BY CLAIRE FAWL
ACFL Division 1
Moneyglass 1-8 Naomh Brid 1-19
As the race for the division 1 title continues at pace with nothing likely to be decided until the last day of the season, there is another battle going on that is just a compelling in division 1B.
Only three points separate second place Rossa and bottom club St. Enda’s but the Glengormley side haver a game in hand and in between St. Gall’s, Tir na nOg and last night’s opponents Moneyglass and St. Brigid’s are battling to avoid the drop.
In a game both sides desperate to win it was the visitors to Marian Hill who would make the better start as they took the lead through Jack Dowling in the opening minute.
Against a home side depleted by injury, St Brigid’s good start continued as they added a second point through a Declan Heary converted free before Patrick McCormick got the home side off the mark with a point in the 5th minute.
Naomh Brid with their county contingent back in the ranks continued to dominate as they hit three points on the bounce through Rory McErlean, Niall Duffy and Fergal Meenagh to lead by four as they dominated in nearly every area of the field.
Slowly though Moneyglass began to gain a foothold as they came back with three points of their own through Aidan McErlain, Peter McCormick and Conor Boyd to leave just one it with 15 minutes gone.
The home side would only add two further points in the opening half as Naomh Brid reasserted themselves on the game with Niall Duffy, James Smith, John Morgan and Duffy again adding points before Aidan McErlain responded with St. Ergnat’s 5th of the half in the 23d minute.
Duffy was causing a constant threat to the home defence and he struck his fourth point of the half with Oran Downey completing the visitors first half total and Sean Boyd replying with a late score for Moneyglass to leave them trailing by five at the break.
Rory McErean extended the visitors lead from a pointed free in the first minute of the second half with Conor Boyd replying from a free for the home side but it was the Musgrave Park side who resumed control at this early juncture and would go on to dominate.
James Smith replied with two on the bounce and Oran Downey followed with another as the visitors continued to pull away and when Fergal Meenagh followed with a goal in a well-executed counter attack in the 46th minute it was as good as over.
Rory McErlean added a couple of points as St. Brigid’s pressed home their advantage and Jack Dowling added another to put matters out of reach before the hard working Conor Boyd was rewarded for his efforts with a point in the 56th minute.
St. Ergnat’s to their credit, kept battling to the end and were reward with an injury time goal from Seanachan Duffin but it came too late to affect the result and it is Naomh Brid who climb above Wednesday night’s opponents on score difference.
With three rounds of games to play St. Ergnat’s will be hoping to get some of their walking wounded back on board for the visit of St. Gall’s on the 5th July while St. Brigid’s face a tough away fixture at St. John’s on the same night.
ACFL Division 1
Ahoghill 0-15 Aghagallon 2-10
A late point from Aghagallon corner-forward Gareth Magee swung this evenly balanced conterst in favour of St. Mary’s Aghagallon and deprived St. Mary’s Ahoghill the draw that their overall performance on the night probably deserved.
Goals from Eunan Walsh in the 20th and final minute of the first half proved the building blocks as St. Mary’s Aghagallon avenged an earlier defeat to St. Mary’s Ahoghill to emerge as winners at Clooney on Wednesday night.
It was the Ahoghill St. Mary’s, who have been excellent this season, who got off to the brighter start with two early points from James O’Connell and O’Connell re4plied again after Eunan Walsh had kicked the visitors opening point to leave it 0-3 to 0-1 after 16 minutes play.
Stephen Devlin kicked the visitor’s third point in the 19th minute and Walsh followed with his side’s opening goal in the 20th minute to give Aghagallon the lead for the first time.
Normal service seemed to have been restored as James O’Connell converted his fourth free of the half and Tom McGlone and Diarmaid Graham added points from play to bring it all square after 27 minutes but Aghagallon responded with a second goal with the first half coming to an end.
Ahoghill had possession around midfield but gifted the ball to Aghagallon and as they pressed forward they were awarded a penalty and the excellent Eunan Walsh stepped forward to fire to the net.
A bad blow for an Ahoghill side who had been playing some good football but they responded confidently at the start of the second half with Conor Crossey, Jimmy McGlone and a superb effort from 45 yards by Fionnbar O’Neill had them back on terms by the 8th minute.
Jonathan Hannon finally got the visitors going again as he split the posts in the 10th minute with James O’Connell and Ruairi McCann with his first of the evening exchanging further minors.
O’Connell’s point came after a great dispassion by Tom mcGlone in midfield and at this stage Ahoghill looked like they were heading for another win and Gerard Graham got his name on the score sheet before Jonanthan Hannon edged the visitors ahead once more.
It was clear that this one was going right down to the wire as Gerard Graham with a pointed free restored parity again before James O’Connell edged the Clooney side ahead again with a point in the 25th minute.
Marc McAfee for Aghagallon and Gerard Graham with a superb point with the outside of his boot kept the home side one in front with three minutes remaining but the visitors replied with two quick fire points, the second from Gareth Magee to edge in front once more but James O’Connell looked to have earned his side a share of the spoils with his eighth point of the game with time almost up.
There would be one more twist in this thrilling encounter however as Gareth Magee struck the winning point for St. Mary’s Aghagallon in injury time to give them victory.
An excellent game of football and a bit cruel on the home side who looked to have gained a share of the points but both sides have secured their place in division 1 for another season with Aghagallon sitting in 4th place.
Portglenone visit Clooney on the 5th of July and while the result means little to the home side in regards to honours the Ahoghill side will already be licking their lips at getting one over on their nearest neighbours.
ACFL Division 1
O’Donovan Rossa 3-9 St John’s 1-10
Rossa took another step towards division 1 survival when they overcame the challenge of deadly rivals, St. John’s in a full-blooded encounter at Shaw’s Road on Wednesday evening
Goals win games and the home side scored three of them to overcome the challenge of St John’s and claim a vital two points in their bid to avoid the drop from Division One.
There was only a point between the sides at half time with Colm Fleming’s opening goal proving vital hosts led at the half with one of those majors through Colm Fleming proving the difference as the opening 30 minutes came to a close.
Rossa hit another two in the second half to give them breathing space and although the visitors found the net late on, it came too late to affect the result.
Both sides created plenty of opportunities over the hour but both wqere guilty of missed chances but Rossa will be the happier on the night as this win keeps them out of the drop zone and indeed moves them onto 13 points.
Rossa got off to a great start start as a Thomas Morgan shot came down off the underside of the crossbar and Colm Fleming was on hand to punch the rebound to the net in the opening minute.
Both sides were creating chances but were wasteful in their finishing with Conchur Adams wide from a free in the 5th minute Rossa responded as Thomas Morgan and Niall Crossan kicked points, while Eoghan McMenamin fired over from the tightest of angles to move them into an early lead.
Adams kicked a free in reply, but St John’s would lose Andy McGowan for 10 minutes as he was black-carded for trailing down Gerard Walsh.
The hosts were unable to do anything with their temporarily numerical advantage, however, as the Johnnies pulled another back through Conal McGlade but they couldn’t add to that score as they kicked a number of wides or were short of the target.
Dominic McEnhill ended a barren 16 minutes for the hosts with a pointed free in stoppage time and while Conor Johnston responded instantly, it was Rossa who led 1-4 to 0-4 at the half.
The sides traded points at the start of the second half through Crossan and Conor Hand, but it was now the hosts turn to miss opportunities but they struck a decisive blow in the 41st minute when Dominic mcEnhill placed Thomas Morgan who fired to the net for his side’s second goal.
McEnhill then converted a free to extend the gap to seven, but St John’s then hit a period of supremacy and began to find their range with Hand hitting a couple of excellent points and McGlade on target to cut the gap to three with six minutes remaining.
Mick Byrne landed a point from one of his trademark 45’s and then as the game ticked into stoppage time, Jack Morris fed Gerard Walsh whose drop-kick took a deflection and ended in the net.
Johnston replied with a point that was cancelled out by McEnhill and although St John’s substitute Conal Gough finished to the net late on, McEnhill kicked a late free to ensure Rossa the win they badly needed.
Rossa: M Byrne (0-1, 45); N Crossan (0-2), C McGuinness, J Morris; M McEnhill, R Gowdy, R Grant; G Walsh (1-0), E McMenamin (0-1); D Grego, C McGettigan, D McEnhill (0-4, 3 frees, 1 mark); C Fleming (1-0), T Morgan (1-1), M Mallon.
Sub: M Close for M McEnhill (46)
St John’s: P Nugent; C Garland, J Bohill, C Dyson; Ciaran Johnston, A McGowan, S Wilson; R McNulty, P McBride; S Tierney, Conor Johnston (0-3), C Hand (0-3); O MacManus, C Adams (0-2, both frees), C McGlade (0-2)
Subs: C Gough (1-0) for C Adams (42), B Neeson for S Wilson (46), L Heenan for O MacManus (56)
Referee: Cathal McDermott (Tír na nÓg)
O’Neill’s Sportswear ACFL Division One
Lámh Dhearg 2-09-1-08 Creggan
Kevin Herron reports from Hannahstown
Lámh Dhearg made it back-to-back league wins with a 2-09-1-08 win over Creggan at Hannahstown on Wednesday evening.
The visitors started strongly and held a 0-03-0-00 lead after three minutes. Paddy Coey converted an early free and Kealan McCann swung a high effort between the posts to double their lead.
The next kick-out caused havoc in the home defence and Dominic McAteer took advantage and opted for a point when a goal opportunity was potentially in the offing.
It took 13 minutes for the Lámhs to find their scoring range through a Fionn Mervyn point, but that was the catalyst for the home side.
Just after the midway point in the half they hit the front when Mervyn slipped a pass to Matthew McElgunn and the midfielder took off towards goal and floated a shot into the top corner to give his side a 1-01-0-03 advantage.
Their lead was extended when Ben Rice burst forward and showed composure to steer a shot between the posts.
Creggan had a 20-minutes scoreless period that ended when Paddy Coey kicked successive frees in a matter of minutes to tie things up at 1-02-0-05.
Lámh Dhearg would restore their two-point advantage at the break courtesy of converted Conor Murray and Carl Maxwell frees.
The sides traded the first four scores of the second period, Conor Murray added two further frees to his personal tally and increased the hosts lead in the process.
In-between times Sean Duffin would convert a free of his own and Paddy Coey kicked his first from play.
On 48 minutes the games decisive score arrived, Shaun McManus claimed Gerard Smyth’s kick-out and quickly switched it off to Declan Smyth.
Smyth carried the ball forward before picking out Adam Murray whose turn and shot came back off the post, Murray saw his follow-up shot blocked on the line before he found the net at the third time of asking to move the Lámhs 2-06-0-07 ahead.
The goal scorer added a point a few minutes later and further scores from Conor Murray (free) and Declan Smyth ensured the points were almost safe.
Paddy Coey kicked his fourth free of the evening and would get the opportunity to half the deficit when the visitors were awarded a penalty two minutes into added time.
Coey sent Lámhs keeper Gerard Smyth the wrong way, it was little more than consolation however as the hosts hung on to claim the spoils and move above Creggan in the league table.
Lámh Dhearg: G Smyth, F Mervyn (0-01), B Rice (0-01), P Larkin, D Martin, M McGarry, M Hynds, M McElgunn (1-00), S McManus, D Smyth (0-01), A Murray (1-01), C Maxwell (0-01f), T McCrudden, C Murray (0-04f), P Mervyn. Subs: M Jordan for C Maxwell (47), N McGarry for F Mervyn (53), C Boyd for S McManus (58).
Creggan: L Bonnes, O Hampsey, E Carey-Small, S Maguire, C McCann, A Maguire, J McAteer, C McCann, K McCann (0-01), S Duffin (0-01f), C Small, T McLarnon, P Coey (1-05, 1-00p, 0-04f), D McAteer (0-01), O McLarnon. Subs: L McCann for E Carey-Small (17), L Quinn for O McLarnon (HT), A McKeown for C Small (47), J McAteer for D McAteer (53).
Referee: Darren McKeown (St Gall’s)
