ACFL Division 1 
St John’s 1-13 St Gall’s 4-9

St Gall’s hit four goals at a wet and windy Corrigan Park on Wednesday to keep pace with Cargin as they overcame the spirited challenge of a St. John’s side, desperate to get some much needed points on board.

The visitors struck with two early majors, which kept their noses in front throughout the opening half but St. John’s battled all the way in search of their first points of the present league campaign.

The Milltown Row side were always able to find a response as they added two more goals in the second half to leave them five clear at the final whistle.

St Gall’s kicked two early wides and dropped one short before striking the game’s opening goal when Callum Walsh broke at pace and exchanged passes with Barra McCaffrey before firing low to the net in the 5^th minute.

The Johnnies made an immediate response and looked in for a goal of their own but Niall McCurdy smothered Conor Hand’s effort when he looked set to score.

Four minutes later for St Gall’s made another decisive strike as they moved the ball at pace and Ruairi Wilson placed Danirl Quinn, who found Barra McCaffrey and the left the corner-forward finished into an empty net.

Walsh added a point before Odhran Quinn finally got the Corrigan men of the mark but McCaffery replied with a point at the other end as St. Gall’s continued to avail of their opportunities’

St Gall’s continued to take the game to their opponents with their kick passing opening up space in the St. John’s defence but they were guilty of some poor shooting as they went looking for 2 pointers.

Brendan Bradley and Paddy McBride swapped scores before Niall Burns added another at the other end but St Gall’s should have been further ahead at this stage as their wide tally continued to rise.

St John’s were beginning to have a wee bit of success and narrowed the gap by the break with Quinn kicking a free and Conal McGlade adding another from play as the half came to a close.

Indeed McGlade might well have had a goal but McCurdy pulled of a smart save to push it onto the bar to keep his team 2-4 to 0-4 ahead.

The St. Gall’s net minder was called into action again, early in the second half to deny Ryan McNulty and it was St. Gall’s who would add to their half time lead as Niall Burns converted a free.

McGlade and Quinn replied for the Johnnies but Daniel Quinn kept the visitors lead in tact as he split the posts at the other end.

The Johnnies were still in contention and were awarded a free for a 3v3 offence, and Paddy McBride opted for a 2 pointer which he struck sweetly between the uprights.  

Just when it looked like the Whiterock men might get something from the contest St Gall’s hit back with a Quinn point and the visitors then struck with a third goal in the 47th minute as McCaffrey’s dipping delivery was palmed home by Niall O’Neill.

O’Neill’s goal moved the visitors 8 ahead but St. John’s were still fighting hard to turn matters around and Conor Adams and McBride fired over with Conor Hand on target from a two-pointer to get them right into contention.

McCurdy was again called into action as Odhran Quinn’s half-blocked effort seemed to be heading for the corner but the danger was cleared and the visitors were now coming under increasing pressure.

The Milltown side hit with a counter punch five minutes from time, with a fourth goal as Eoghan McCabe burst through and found McCaffrey, who passed inside for Brendan Bradley to fire past Lambert.

The Johnnies efforts finally paid off when Conor McEvoy registered from the penalty spot after John McCaffrey impeded Hand inside the area, but time was against the hosts with Quinn thumping over the insurance score.

St. John’s: ER Lambert; R Hannigan, J Bohill, E McGurk; C McEvoy (1-0 pen), R Quinn, S Wilson; C Hand (0-3, 1xtp), R McNulty; P McBride (0-4, 1xtpf), D McGuinness, S Tierney; C Quinn, O Quinn (0-3, 1f), C McGlade (0-2).
Subs: P Nugent for C Quinn (26), C Adams (0-1) for D McGuinness (42), R Donnelly for O Quinn (53), A Bradley for S Tierney (58)

ST Gall’s: N McCurdy; J McCaffrey, C Mac Adhaimh, E McCurdy; R Wilson, D Mac Liam, C McCabe; C Stinton, C Burke; N Burns (0-2, 1f), B Bradley (1-1), C Walsh (1-1); B McCaffrey (1-1), N O’Neill (1-1), D Quinn (0-3).
Subs: E McCabe for C Burke (HT), L Lynn for C McCabe (36)

Referee: Ray Matthews (Rossa) 

On an evening when both sides were able to blood new players and introduce them to Division 1 football it was Kickhams who came out on top with a score line of 1.14 to 1.10

Creggan appeared to have the game wrapped up at half time when the led by 0-09 to 0-02, and though St Brigid’s closed the gap to four midway through the second half when Shea McCann fired to the visitors net, but the Musgrave Park side fought their way back to within two points, only to be denied by two late points from Duffin and Rodgers for the home side.

The home side dominated the first half and Conor Small started the scoring inside a minute with a point with Paul Bradley replying for St Brigids on the 4th minute. Kickhams then hit 5 points in a row, three of them from centre forward Conor Small, who looks to be getting back to the form he is capable of playing, and a point from Sean Duffin who was covering every blade of grass. The fifth point came from Jamie McCann who along with Conor McCann was controlling the middle of the field, but John Morgan came back with a second point for the visitors soon afterward. However that was to be their last score of the half as the home taean took over and three excellent points from Jamie McCann stretched their lead to Kickhams 0.09 to St Brigids 0.02 by the time referee Colm McDonald blew the half time whistle.

The Musgrave Park men came flying out of the traps in the second half with three unanswered points from Peter King and Conan McNicholl from no15 and one from no10and when Patrick Finnegan added another they were right back in the game. Creggan reacted well to the pressure and they hit back with Dominic McAteer point and when young Shea McCann finished a great move with his goal at senior level the men from the Lough Shore were 9 to the good.

Most of the spectators were probably thinking the game was over  at this stage but St Brigids had other ideas as they hit back brilliantly with four points in a row through Jack Dowling, Patrick Finnegan, Paul Bradley, and Shea Downey. On 51 minutes the gap was down to just two points  when John Morgan found the Creggan net and suddenly the smart money was on the visitors to take the points However with the Kickhams rearguard under pressure they tightened up with young Fintan Close and Liam McLernon leading the way and on 25 minutes Ricky Johnston scored a nice individual point to ease the pressure. McNicholl came back with a good point for St Brigid’s to up the pressure yet again, but the last two scores went to Kickhams through Sean Duffin and Mathew Rodgers to put Kickhams 4 clear at the end.

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Main pic = Pat Shivers who scored 2-06 in Cargin’s win over Aldergrove in Toome

ACFL Division 1

Erin’s Own Cargin 4-24 St James Aldergrove 0-06

Cargin continued to set the pace in division 1 when they proved much too strong for previously unbeaten St. James Aldergrove in Toome on Wednesday night.

Aldergrove arrived in Toome holding an unbeaten record and went into an early lead following a Ryan McCarthy point but in the event that was as good as it was to get for the visitors.

Erin’s Own were quick to make reply with Conor Johnston sending John Carron away down the right wing to despatch the ball to the corner of the net.

The visitors replied with their second point of the evening with Seamus McGarry sending over but with Gerard McCann dominating at mid-field the home side began to take control and by the end of the opening twenty minutes they had nipped into a 1-07 to 0-02 lead.

Having arrived at Toome with a spring in their step after three straight wins the visitors tried to respond but the Toome side were now dominating in every department.

They had moved into a 10 point lead by the 20^th minute with Pat and Tom Shivers finding the target with ease and Jamie and Callum Gribbin doing likewise but suffered a blow when injury forced the impressive Gerard McCann out of the game in the latter stages of the opening period.

Cargin were in total control as the half time whistle sounded when they led 1-16 to 0-02 and even at this stage it looked as good as over.

Aldergrove began the second half with the breeze at their backs as David Johnston replaced the stricken Gerard McCann in the Cargin side and once again the hosts took control.

John Carron, Jamie Gribbin (2), and Sean Og O’ Neill added points before Pat Shivers took a pass from John Carron to fire to the net in the 42^nd minute.

The big man followed with another shortly after following good work by Jamie Gribbin and Conhuir Johnston and with replacement Jack Harney serving notice of his arrival with a point the Toome men had scooted away to a 3-21 to 0-03 advantage.

St. James, to their credit tried to return fire as Ronan Hanna added back to back points after good work from Oisin Graham but the home side were far from finished as Tom Shivers and Callum Gribbin raised further white flags and David Johnston opened the way for Ben McLarnon to find the back of the net with a crisp finish.

The visitors did have the final say when the busy Ronan Hanna added another point to their total but by this stage Erin’s Own were out of site and they now join St. Gall’s as the only two unbeaten sides in the division.

Cargin: Shea Laverty, Sean og Quinn, Kevin O’ Boyle, Brendan Laverty, Benen Kelly, Kevin Mc Shane, Sean og O’ Neill (0-02), Tom Shivers (0-04), Gerard Mc Cann, John Carron (1-02), Conhuir Johnston (0-04), Callum Gribbin (0-03), Pat Shivers (2-06*),Michael Mc Cann, Jamie Gribbin (0-05)

Subs

Ben Mc Larnon (1-00)

Jack Harney (0-01)

Charlie Mc Cann

Aldergrove: Oisin McGarry, Conor Magee) Chris Browning, Logan Fleming, Conor Browning, Chris Mc Vey, Eamon Gough, Brian Mc Quillan, Ryan Mc Carthy (0-01)Chris Mc Steen, Oisin Graham, Sean Pat Fay, Cormac Mc Garry (0-01), Ronan Hanna (0-04), Seamus Mc Garry (0-01)

Referee: Darren McKeown (St.Gall’s)

ACFL Division 1

Tir na nOg 1-10 All Saints 2-19

All Saints produced a strong second half performance to sweep aside the challenge of an under strength, Tir na nOg at Whitehill on Wednesday night. The Randalstown club went into this one minus a few regulars while the visitors were boosted by the availability of their County panellist for the first time this season.

There wasn’t much between the sides in the opening half with the Ballymena side leading by the minimum at the halfway stage but after the break the visitors really stepped it up several gears, outscoring their hosts 1-11 to 0-3.

It was the Whiehill side who made the better start with Darragh Fagan and Aaron McNeilly kicking two pointers to leave it 0-4 to 0-2 after 7 minutes and Ciaran Campbell and Connell Lemon responding for the visitors.

Slowly All Saints began to settle however and Conor Stewart, Sean O’Callaghan, Paddy McAleer and Benny McDonnell hit unanswered points to move them two in front by the 13^th minute.

 Conor Stewart added his second of the evening and it looked like the Slemish Park side were taking over but Tir na nOg found a response and Caleb Smith fired over and Aaron McNeilly added another from a free before Emmet Murray found himself in acres of space and he made no mistake to move his side two in front.

The visitors looked in a bit of trouble but they replied positively with Conor Stewart splitting the posts following a turn over and when Paddy McAleer drilled his shot low to the corner of Sean Paul McAtamney’s net the tide had turned again.

The home side then suffered a blow when mid-fielder, Ryan O’Neill limped out of the contest to be replaced by Sean McKeown and minutes later Paddy McAleer had the ball in the net for a second time but the score was rightly ruled out for a ‘square ball’ infringement.

That proved to be the last piece of action of the half as referee Patrick Tumelty sounded his half time whistle and the visitors headed to the dressing rooms with a one point lead.

All Saints were quickly into the action as the game got under way for the second half with keeper, Conor Brennan stepping forward to direct a ’45’ between the uprights but Aaron McNeilly replied from a close range free to keep the gap at one with 7 minutes of the new half gone.

McNeilly tied the contest from a similar scenario, two minutes later and we looked to have a real battle on our hands but the home side would add only one further point as Baker Bradley’s side found another gear.

James McDonnell replied with a point as Michael McCarry and Sean McVeigh replaced Ciaran Campbell and ‘Pizza’ McReynolds and McVeigh was quickly into the action as he raised the Orange flag and added another point to move his side five ahead.

Youngster, Caleb Smith replied with Tir na nOg’s third point of the half with 11 minutes remaining but it would be their final score as All Saints took control.

Paddy McAleer struck an impressive 2 pointer and Brenda McDonnell followed with another before Ronan McKillop finished to the net for their second goal following a fast defence splitting build up.

Full-back Kavan Keenan moved forward from defence to kick a massive 2pointer and conclude the scoring as the final whistle sounded to conclude the action for the evening.

This win makes it three wins out of four for the Ballymena side and keeps them in touch with the leading pack while Tir na nOg have only one point from their opening four games and will be hoping for an opening win when they travel to Dunloy on the 23d of April.

Tir na nOg: 1 Sean Paul McAtamney, 2 Manus Smith, Ciaran McGrellis, Ciaran Logan, 5 Paul McCloskey, 6 Barry McCormick, 7 Brandon McLarnon, 8 Ciaran O’Neill, 9 Ryan O’Neill, 10 Aaron McNeilly, 11 Joshua Higgins, 12 Dylan McLarnon, 13 Emmet Murray, 14 Darragh Fagan, 15 Caleb Smith.

Subs: Sean McKeown for Ryan O’Neill, Alex O’Donnell for Caleb Smith

All Saints: Conor Brennan, 2 Matthew Downey, 3 Kavan Keenan, 4 Cal O’Brien, 5 Sean O’Callaghan, 6 Connell Lemon, 7 Jasmes McDonnell, 8 Emmet Killough, 9 Conor Stewart, 11 Patrick Ferris, 12 Peter McReynolds, 13 Ciaran Campbell, 14 Paddy McAleer, 15 Ronan McKillop.

Subs: Michael McCarry for Peter McReynolds, Sean McVeigh for Ciaran Campbell, Harry Connon for Brendan McDonnell.

Referee: Patrick Tumelty (Lamh Dhearg)

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