ACFL Division 1

Creggan 0 – 15     Portglenone 0 – 08

The hard fought encounter that many expected between two of the only three unbeaten sides in this year’s division one contest failed to materialise, and after sixty minutes Creggan are the team that still retain full points and extend their impressive opening sequence with a solid performance that was just too good for their opponents on this occasion.

Playing with the wind at their back it took Liam Quinn less than a minute to open the host’s account. Young Odhran Doherty replied a few moments later to keep things on the level, but despite having a ten-minute spell when they were on the front foot, it would be a full quarter until Casements would raise their second flag of the game.

During that period Casements were comfortably holding their own, and two well worked movements created clear goal scoring chances, but the experienced Oisin Kerr made himself large and Ronan Kelly and Aidan McAleese both placed their efforts wide of the posts and that danger was averted.

Creggan were clinical in their response, and six scores, from Teddy McKeown, Liam Quinn and McCann siblings Shay and Jamie, with 2 x two pointers, opened up a sizeable gap on the scoreboard. Odhran Doherty and Aidan McAleese did raise a brace of white flags in between, but on Ray Matthews half time whistle it was the home team who took a seven-point lead to the changing rooms.

Casements supporters have witnessed several spectacular comebacks this year and coming out with the wind at their back most in the crowd were anticipating a full blooded second half that could go to the wire.

What transpired was the opposite, as Creggan upped their game completely and controlled this contest pretty much on their own terms. Kevin Small bossed the midfield exchanges along with his midfield partner Jamie McCann who carried on where he left off by opening the scoring almost immediately after the restart.

Portglenone just couldn’t get their hands on the ball, and although Ronan Kelly knocked over a good point from distance, it was just token resistance as the men in green and gold cruised through Casements defence at will to put this contest well and truly to bed. Shay McCann was involved in everything good and kept the scoreboard ticking over, whilst stalwart half back Sam Maguire opted for a point with a goal at his mercy.  Liam Quinn was another who looked lively and he too had a goal bound effort well saved by Casements stand in netminder Brian McManus.

Sean Duffin marked his introduction with a good point too, as the game filtered out to its inevitable conclusion. A trio of late scores from Casements only served to take the bad look of things but for the Portglenone men it was a night to forget.

Creggan looked good all over the pitch and Joe Cassidy will be well pleased with how his charges performed. They had many excellent individual performers and look like a very well-balanced team that know what they are about.

This certainly wasn’t Casements finest hour and a below par second half which saw them raise little resistance is one they will look to put behind them.

Scorers.

Creggan; Jamie McCann 0 – 05, Shay McCann 0 – 04,  Liam Quinn 0 – 03, Teddy McKeown 0 – 01, Sam Maguire 0 – 01, Sean Duffin 0 – 01

Portglenone; Odhran Doherty 0 – 04, Aidan McAleese 0 – 01, Dermot McAleese 0 – 01, Ronan Kelly 0 – 01, Stephen Kelly 0 – 01.

Referee – Ray Matthews.

ACFL Division 2

Ahoghill 0-17 Lisburn 2-6

St. Mary’s Ahoghill continued their good run in division 2 when they overcame the challenge of St. Patrick’s Lisburn in Cloney on Wednesday night.

James O’Connell served notice that his return to match fitness is well underway when he kicked 2 early 2 pointers and Donal Graham followed with another as the home side took full advantage of the breeze to move 0-6 ahead after 4 minutes.

It was all St. Mary’s during the opening exchanges as Diarmaid Graham and Patrick Dougan, with his side’s fourth Orange flag of the half added to the St. Mary’s total and when James O’Connell hit another double they were 0-11 ahead.

St. Patrick’s had been under the cosh up until this point but they did finish the half strongly and kicked the final three points with Colm Burns and two from Oisin Gorman putting a better look on the score-line at half time.

James O’Connell extended the Ahoghill lead from a pointed free in the opening minute of the second half but St. Patrick’s replied from a Che Smith pointed free and when Tom Buckley followed with a goal in the 6^th minute their comeback looked to be underway.

Not lying down on the job! James O’Connell who finished with 0-8 as Ahoghill beat St. Patrick’s Lisburn in Cloney on Wednesday night.

Two minutes later Oisin Gorman got in for a second goal and the Ahoghill lead had been reduced to two points and the game had swung the way of the visitors and required a response from the home side.

And respond they did as Ronan Graham pointed a free and Patrick Graham added a fine score from play before Eamon Doyle replied for the visitors to leave three between the sides with 14 minutes gone.

The visitors would add only one further point however as St. Mary’s finished strongly to dominate the final quarter.

James O’Connell put the icing on a fine individual performance as he brought his total to 0-8 for the evening and the impressive Ronan Graham added two more to see the home side comfortably home and move just one point behind Naomh Eanna at the top of the table after 4 rounds of games.

St. Mary’s Ahoghill: 1 Gerard Graham, 2 Harry O’Donnell, 3 James Magee, 4 Shea Neeson, 5 Fionnbar O’Neill, 6 Diarmaid Graham, 7 Eamonn Brady, 8 Ronan Graham, 9 Patrick Graham, 10 Dan O’Neill, 11 Donal Graham, 12 Patrick Dougan, 13 James O’Connell, 14 Noel Crossey, 15 Colla McDonnell

Subs: 20 Ben Friel, 21 Noah Friel, 22 Seamus McKeever, 23 Ryan Martin

St. Patrick’s Lisburn: 1 Peter O’Neill, 2 Jack Brodrick, 3 Sean Burns, 4 Conor Doran, 5 Jack McMullan, 6 Ben McMullan, 7 Colm Burns, 8 Tom Buckley, 9 Adam Patterson, 10 Daire Austin, 11 Oisin Gorman, 13 Josh McMullan, 14 Jude Rafferty, 15 Che Smith, 18 Eamonn Doyle

Referee: Cathal McDermott

Antrim Football League – Division 1

Glenravel 1-13  Moneyglass 2-08

Glenravel left it very late to level and eventually go ahead of their opponents in a game that was in some ways dominated by a strong breeze blowing to the scoreboard end of Fr Maginn Park on Wednesday evening. Glenravel played into that breeze in the first half and were five points adrift at half time thanks to two majors from the visitors. They started to dominate in midfield second half but their opponents refused to buckle and it wasn’t until the fifty eighth minute that the home side levelled and then pulled ahead to win by two points.

Moneyglass put a marker down early when full forward Colm Duffin raised the orange flag and that was followed up by an Aiden McErlaine point so with ten minutes gone the visitors were three to the good having made good use of the breeze whilst the home team  were guilty of opportunistic shooting falling short of the target into a strong wind. Aiden O’Donnell opened for Glenravel from a free and that was followed by a brace from Harry Fyfe, one of which was a wonder score into the breeze from distance. Aiden O’Donnell then punished a breach and Glenravel were ahead by the minimum but with twenty minutes on the clock, ref Mark O’Neill awarded the visitors a penalty which Dermot McErlaine dispatched to the net to restore Moneyglass’s lead. Aiden O’Donnell pointed again from a free but in a two minute period towards the end of the half Moneyglass opened a six point gap as Aiden McErlane goaled and that was quickly followed by a 2-pointer from Seanchan Duffin. Aiden O’Donnell reduced the gap to five points from a fee as Mark O’Neill brought proceedings to a close with Moneyglass on top on a 2-05 to 0-06 scoreline.

Colm Duffin stretched the lead to six from a free  on the restart but Glenravel would reduce that to two points as their dominance started to force transgressions and none better than Aiden O’Donnell to exploit that with two pointed frees sandwiched between a 2-point free from the recently introduced Ryan McQuillan. Colm Duffin popped over two further points with Glenravel’s only reply being a Harry Fyfe point. There had been several long injury stoppages for both sides in that second half but despite a lot of possession the home side still trailed by three points with as many minutes of ordinary time left.

Try as they might Glenravel struggled to close that gap but from a turnover and good move upfield the home side were finally rewarded when Niall Hynds pounced to punch to the net and level the game. That raised a massive cheer from the home supporters and it got even louder when Callum Higgins gave them the lead one minute later. Glenravel were showing a lot of composure at this stage keeping possession and when they finally burst through the Moneyglass defence they earned a penalty which Rian Lennon put over to extend the lead to two points. Several more anxious minutes followed for the home supporters before the final whistle blew on a game that either team will look back on thinking they could have lost or could have won – fine margins separated them in the end but the men in green and white will be the happier side tomorrow morning.

Glenravel

1. Conleth O’Loan
2. Conor Carey
3. Conor McQuillan (Subbed for #19 at 49′)
4. Niall Dickson
5. Callum Higgins (Scored 0-0-1)
6. Niall Swann
7. Rian Lennon (Scored 0-0-1)
8. Cahal Hynds
9. Sean Higgins
10. Daniel McQuillan (Subbed for #20 at 58′)
11. Aiden O’Donnell (Scored 0-0-6)
12. Eamon Ward
13. Fergus Donaghy (Subbed for #18 at 56′)
14. Harry Fyfe (Scored 0-0-3)
15. Daire Higgins (Subbed for #28 at 48′)
16. (Not listed on graphic)

Moneyglass

1. Jamie McLaughlin (Séamus Mac Lochlainn)
2. Bobby Kennedy (Roibeard Ó Cinnéide)
3. Paul Duffin (Pól Ó Duifinn)
4. James McCormick (Séamus Mac Cormaic)
5. Eunan Mc Erlain (Eunan Mac Fhirléighinn)
6. Conleth McCann (Connlaodh Mac Cana)
7. Francis Duffin (Proinsias Ó Duifinn)
8. Seanchan Duffin (Seanchan Ó Duifinn)
9. Dermott Mc Erlain (Diarmaid Mac Fhirléighinn)
10. Callum Murray (Colm Ó Muirí)
11. Aidan Mc Erlain (Aodán Mac Fhirléighinn)
12. Connor O Kane (Connor Ó Catháin)
13. Caolan Boyd (Caolán Búiteach)
14. Colum Duffin (Colm Ó Duifinn)
15. Sean Boyd (Sean Búiteach)