ACFL Division 1

St. Brigid’s 1-12 Moneyglass 3-16

St. Ergnat’s Moneyglass collected their first win in division 1 when they travelled to Musgrave Park on Sunday and recorded a resounding victory over St. Brigid’s. The Marian Hill side pushed Aghagallon all the way last week before losing narrowly and on this performance they will give plenty of teams their fill of it as the season progresses.

Goals from Patrick McCormick after 13 minutes and Conall Prenter, three minutes from the break had Hugh Carey’s side in cruise control at the break when they led 2-8 to 0-5 and when Tiernan McCormick struck the visitors third in the opening minute of the second it was as good as over.

The visitors were quickly off the mark as Colm Duffin and Paul Duffin pointed them into a two point lead after six minutes and Dermot McErlain struck a third before Toirealach Brolly pulled one back for St. Brigid’s.

Patrick McCormick fired home the game’s opening goal with 13 minutes gone to move his side five ahead before James Smith closed the gap to four with St. Brigid’s second point of the game after 15 minutes but the momentum was very much with St. Ergnat’s.

 They responded with points from Tiernan McCormick, Dermott McErlain and Conor Boyd before James Smith got his second and his side’s third for a St. Brigid’s side who were struggling to contain a rampant Moneyglass.

It provided only temporary respite as the visitors came roaring back and a couple of Colm Duffin points sandwiching a second goal from Conall Prenter with Smith hitting a late point for the visitors but even at this stage it was hard to see the home side coming back.

McCormick’s goal on the restart made the mountain facing the home side impossible to climb and while they did fare better during the second period they never really looked like getting back into contention.

Indeed by the time they got their opening score of the half through their best player, James Smith in the 39^th minute, Moneyglass had extended their advantage further through Conleith McCann (0-2) and two more from mid-field dynamo Colm Duffin (0-2) and it was now an exercise on damage limitation.

James Smith, Fergal Meenagh and Smith again struck three unanswered points in St. Brigid’s best spell of the game but any notion of Moneyglass taking their foot of the pedal were quickly dismissed as the ‘Blues’ came back with points from Paul Duffin and Tiernan McCormick.

James Smith, who was St. Brigid’s bright spark in an otherwise outclassed side brought his personal tally to 0-9 with three late points but it was Moneyglass who finished as they had started with Patrick McCormick, Colm Duffin and Tyler Cassidy adding points.

The Musgrave Park men were missing quite a number of key players but this should not take anything away from this Moneyglass performance and it will provide the newly promoted side with the confidence and the momentum they need as they face what will surely be tougher days ahead in their league campaign.

St. Brigid’s: 1 Declan Heery, 2 Finn McKernan, 3 Conor King, 4 Joseph McCarney, 5 Sean McKernan, 6 Reduben Carleton, 7 Toirealach Brolly, 8 Jack Dowling, 9 Fergal Meenagh, 10 Peter Lundy, 11 James Smith, 12 Conor Slevin, 13 Marcus Lynch, 14 Donal Bradley, 15 Rory McErlean

Moneyglass:  Gary Murray, 2. Callum McStocker, 3. Fearghal Duffin, 4. James McCormick, 5. Paul Duffin, 6. Peter McCormick, 7. Paddy McCormick, 8. Colum Duffin, 9. Dermot McErlain, 10. Kevin McCann, 11. Conor Boyd, 12. Tiernan McCormack, 13. Jack McCoy 14. Conaill Prenter, 15. Connlaodh McCann, 16. Danny McErlain, 17. Frank Duffin, 18. Connor O’Kane, 19. Tyler Cassidy, 20. Aidan McErlain, 21. Sean Boyd, 22. Ronan Campbell, 23. Charlie McCloskey Subs: Aidan McErlain for Conall Prenter, Conor O’Kane for Kevin McCann, Tyler Cassidy for Conor Boyd, Frank Duffin for Jack McCoy

Referee: Brendan Toland (Lamh Dhearg)

Antrim Football League – Division 2

St Paul’s 2-9 Naomh Padraig 0-9

Goals at either end of the game gave St Paul’s victory over St Patrick’s Lisburn in Sunday’s Division Leauge game at Pairc Naomh Pól as the home team took the points after a hard fought battle.

Niall Ward struck early for the Shaw’s Road men when he found the visitors’ net, but the Naomh Padraig hit back with points from Markus Chernek, Paul Law and Josh McMullan to tie the scores. An exchange of points between St Paul’s Michael Duffy and St Pat’s Francis McMeel kept the sides deadlocked but the visitors went ahead when Francis McMeel and Conor Ewing pointed. However the home side rallied and hit three of the next four points to go into the half time break with a one point lead. 1-04 to 0-6

An Aidan Finnegan point at the start of the second half put St Paul’s two clear but Lisburn fought back to level the game once again. There was just one score between the sides (1-9 to 0-9) going into injury time at the end of the game when St Paul’s Conall Duffy sealed the win with his team’s second goal

ACFL DIVISION 1

St. John’s 2-13 Creggan 2-8

An excellent goal from Laughlin McCurdy late in the game lit up a dull evening as St. John’s made it two from two with this win over Creggan in an evening throw in at Corrigan Park, the game put back to accommodate Antrim’s NHL game against Laois earlier in the day.

The first half was a bit of a slow burner with both sides taking a time to find their feet on a slippery sod but it was St. Johns who were first to register through Conall Quinn and Conhur Adams who was to have an impressive hour in the corner for the home side.

Dominic McAteer pulled one back for the visitors but the early momentum was with the Corrigan men with mid-fielder, Conal McGlade pointing from play and then converting a ‘45’ to move his side three in front.

McAteer closed the gap to two with a Creggan free but St. John’s were beginning to get on top and Paddy McBride, returning from a lengthy injury, struck a couple of fine points as half time approached with McAteer replying with his third of the day to leave it 0-6 to 0-3 at the break.

The first half had been punctuated with some heavy hits and the issuing of a number of yellow cards and Creggan were given the opportunity to draw level early in the second half when they were awarded a penalty with Jack Bohill receiving yellow for his sins and Conor Small firing home the resulting penalty.

A couple of points from the excellent Ryan McNulty in reply to one from Tiarnan McAteer edged the Johnnies noses in front before a well worked goal from Conor Hand put them four ahead and they appeared to have weathered the early second half storm.

Before the cheering had died Creggan came racing back with an unreal major of their own with Kevin Rice applying the finish and the game was back in the melting pot and the league holders seemed to be settling to the task.

Once again the men from the Whiterock found a response however with Conhur Adams hitting a couple of good points and Liam McCann striking a long range effort for the Kickham’s in reply but it would be St. John’s who would turn the screw down the finishing straight.

Paddy McBride added a couple of fine scores and Lochlan McCurdy lit up a dull evening with a superb goal and McNulty added their final point with Conor Small and Dominic McAteer replying with consolation scores for the visitors.

St. John’s: 1 Matthew Leydon, 2 Ciaran Garland, 3 Adrian Oliver, 4 Jack Bohill, 5 Luke Peden, 6 Ciaran Johnston, 7 Sean Wilson, 8 Ryan McNulty, 9 Conor Hand, 10 Paddy Nugent, 11 Conal McGlade, 12 Andy McGowan, 13 Conchur Adams, 14 Conall Gough, 15 Conall Quinn, 16 Steven Magennis, 17 Simon McDonagh, 18 Paddy McBride, 25 Matthew Mallon 28 Laughlin McCurdy

Creggan: 1) Oisin Kerr, 2) Dylan Hymphy, 3) Ricky Johnston , 4) Jake Mc Ateer, 5) Sam Maguire, 6) Aiden Maguire, 7) Joe Mc Ateer, 8) Liam Mc Cann, 9) Kevin Rice, 10) Diarmuid Mulholland, 11) Tiarnan Mc Ateer, 12) Liam Quinn, 13) Conor Small, 14) Dominic Mc Ateer, 15) Odhran Mc Larnon

ACFL Division 1

Rossa 2-5 Ahoghill 0-10

St. Mary’s Ahoghill will reflect on a first half that they mostly controlled but didn’t convert enough chances as the reason for their demise in this close encounter in the ACFL Division 1 at Shaw’s Road today.

Ahoghill played with the breeze in a first half where they were well on top but only scored 0-5 and Rossa’s goal from Colm Fleming in the 18^th minute was the score that ultimately decided the game in the end.

The home side only managed two scores themselves during the opening 30 minutes but added 1-4 in the second half and a second goal from Fleming from the penalty spot was enough to see Hugh McGettigan’s men over the line.

Patrick Graham and Eamonn Brady kicked the visitors into a two point lead after only four minutes as St. Mary’s made the early running but they failed to build on that early lead and Colm Fleming finally got Rossa off the mark from a free in the 13^th minute.

Diarmaid Graham and Brady again replied for the Clooney side but they were caught again by a Rossa counter attack and Fleming fired home the game’s opening goal with 18 minutes on the clock.

St. Mary’s were enjoying plenty of possession but were having difficulties in turning good approach work into scores but moved ahead again through a Ronan Graham point in the 24^th minute but it would prove to be the final score of the half.

The visitors looked to have a tough task on hand as they turned into the breeze for the second half but James O’Connell gave them renewed hope when he extended their lead to two with a good point from play in the opening minute.

They received a setback however when Noel Crossey was penalised for a foot block a minute later with the referee pointing to the penalty spot and Fleming converted the resulting award to give his side back the lead.

Fleming pointed a free to extend the Rossa lead and Mick Byrne came forward to add another as Rossa experienced their best period in the game before Bernard Graham replied with a point for the visitors in the 17^th minute.

The momentum was with Hugh McGettigan’s side however and points from Thomas Morgan and Eoghan McMenaman moved them four ahead with seven minutes remaining and they seemed to be home and safe but Ahoghill were not yet finished.

They came back strongly in the closing stages with Diarmaid Graham, Ronan Graham and Tom McGlone hitting late points to close the gap to the minimum but that was as close as they got with Rossa holding on for their first win of the campaign.

Rossa: 1 Mick Byrne, 2 Connor McGowan, 3 Ciaran Orchin, 4 Matthew Mallon, 5 Padraig Moyes, 6 Richard Gowdy, 7 Conal McDonald, 8 Eoghan McMenaman, 9 Jack Morris, 10 Darren Grego, 11 Niall Crossan, 12 Thomas Morgan, 13 Colm Fleming, 14 Ben McCauley, 15 Darra Rocks.

Ahoghill: 1 Noel Crossey, 2 Seamus McKeever, 3 James Magee, 5 Fionnbar O’Neill, 6 Eamonn Brady, 7 Diarmaid Graham, 8 Patrick Graham, 9 Thomas McGlone, 12 Bernard Graham, 13 Conor Paul Crossey, 14 Ronan Graham, 15 James O’Connell, 17 Donal Graham, 18 Gerard Graham, 20 Daniel O’Neill, 22 Colla McDonnell, 24 Ryan McPeake, 25 Conor McGarry,  

Referee: Darren McKeown (St. Gall’s)

ACFL Division 1

Erin’s Own Cargin 1-05 St Gall’s 1-04 (abandoned due to injury)

An accidental injury to young wing half forward Marcus Donnelly just a few minutes into the second half caused the Cargin v St Gall’s division one league game in Toome on Sunday to be abandoned.

The home side led by the bare minimum when the injury occurred but as the teams waited for the arrival of an ambulance the match official called a halt to proceedings.

St. Gall’s were first to give employment to the score board attendant when the ill-fated Marcus Donnelly made ground out on the right hand side to collect a clearance from Thomas Bunting and fire to the back of the Cargin net.

The Milltown men increased their advantage a few minutes later when a foul on Niall O’Neill opened the door for Sean Burns to plant the resultant award firmly between the posts to give the visitors a good start.

After a sluggish start to proceedings the home side began to get a foothold with Sean Og Quinn and Ronan Gribbin taking control in defence and net-minder John McNabb came forward to send a lofted delivery which ended in the net before Paudie Mc Laughlin added a point to bring the sides level.

St Gall’s regained the lead at the start of the second quarter through another Sean Burns pointed free but John Carron was quick to reply with a superb score before a foul on the advancing Eunan Quinn was punished by Tom Shivers to put the home side in front 1-04 to 1-02.

St Gall’s reduced the deficit to the minimum when Sean Burns added a 27^th minute point but the home side had the final say of the half when a late Tom Shivers point gave them a 1-05 to 1-03 interval advantage.

St Gall’s opened the second half with an early point from Niall O’ Neill following a Cormac Flannery clearance but that was to end the action as wing forward Marcus Donnelly fell awkwardly in pursuit of a loose ball to suffer what looked like a serious leg injury, forcing referee Karol Doherty to abandon the game.

The stricken Marcus Donnelly was taken to hospital by ambulance after an early halt was called to proceedings and the Saffron Gael and Erin’s Own Cargin wish a speedy recovery to the young St Gall’s man and look forward to his return to the ranks of the Milltown Blues in the near future.

Cargin: John McNabb (1-00), Sean Og Quinn, Cahir Donnelly, Gerard Mc Corley, Justin Crozier, Ronan Gribbin, Brendan Laverty, Gerard Mc Cann, John Carron (0-01), Ciaran Bradley, Sean Og O’ Neill, Eunan Quinn, Paudie Mc Laughlin (0-01), Tom Shivers (0-02), Kieran Close (0-1)

St Gall’s: Niall McCurdy, Tiarnan Keenan, Cormac Flannery, Eoghan Mc Curdy, Gaireach Mac Adaimh, Thomas Bunting, Jack Hopkins, Ryan Irvine, Manus McCrossan Marcus Donnelly (1-00), Sean Burns (0-03), Ruairi Wilson, Conn Doherty, Niall O’ Neill (0-01), Brendan Bradley.

Referee: K Doherty (Rasharkin)