ACFL Division 1

St. Enda’s 1-9 Ahoghill 1-12

St. Mary’s Ahoghill took another step away from the possibility of getting dragged into the relegation play-offs with a good win over st Enda’s in an excellent game of football at Hightown on Wednesday night.

The Clooney side held a slender 0-6 to 0-5 lead at the halfway stage but pushed on after the break thanks to a goal from Patrick Dougan, two minutes into the second half.

The Glengormley side came back with a goal of their own from Stephen O’Connor with three minutes remaining but it came too late to deny the visitors who now climb to 9^th in the table after this win.

The opening exchanges were fairly even with the sides tied at 0-4 each after 22 minute with Dan O’Neill, Ronan Graham, O’Neill again and Donal Graham on target for Ahoghill and Stephen O’Connor 0-2, Donal Walsh and Cormac Morgan the St. Enda’s scorers.

Ronan Graham and Donal Graham added to the visitors total by the 24^th minute with Sean McBride closing the gap to the minimum with the final score of the half for the home side.

The visitors started the second half on the front foot as Conor Crossey and James O’Connell tagged on early points and a goal from Patrick Dougan put them in a commanding position with only two minute of the second half gone.

Donal Graham added a point before Stephen O’Connor opened St. Enda’s second half account with a point in the 8^th minute.

It5 failed to inspire his colleagues however as James O’Connell and Conor Crossey replied for the visitors who seemed to take their foot of the throttle at this stage.

St. Enda’s needed no further invitation as they came back strongly with Tomas Gilmore and a couple from Stephen O’Connor firing over points before Donal Graham eased the pressure with St. Mary’s final score of the game with three minutes remaining.

It looked all over at this stage but St. Enda’s staged a late rally and Conan Lyttle got in for a goal to cause the Ahoghill side a few anxious moments but the visitors kept their cool to run out winners in the end.

This win should ensure division 1 football for St. Mary’s for next season while St. Enda’s may need something from their final two games away to Rossa and at home to Glenravel to avoid getting dragged into a play-off situation if results elsewhere were to go against them.

O’Neill’s Sportswear Antrim Football League Division One

St Brigid’s 4-12 St Gall’s 2-9

St. Brigid’s kept themselves very much in contention for a place in the play-offs when they recorded a nine point win over visitors St. Gall’s at Musgrave Park on Wednesday night.

They certainly did not get it all their own way against a St. Gall’s side who were very much in contention as the game entered the final quarter but St. Brigid’s struck with two late goals to keep themselves in second place in the tables.

The home side trailed by three at the break as visitors St. Gall’s fought to earn their own place in the play-offs but a Peter Lundy goal on the restart brought the sides level.

Heading into Wednesday evening’s clash, just one point separated the sides in the standings with a place in the forthcoming semi-finals very much in the remit of both sides but this victory moves the Musgrave men three ahead in the ratings.

St. Brigid’s made the early running but their keeper, Declan Heery gave the ball away cheaply while pushing up in support of his attack and Brendan Bradley took advantage as he sent a long distance shot into an empty net.

Both sides were giving it everything but scores were proving hard to come by and it would take another 13 minutes before the scoreboard would tick on and it saw the lead change hands briefly as Reuben Carleton drilled over and McAleer curled over from the left.

St. Gall’s were finding it difficult to add to Bradley’s major but they came to life in the closing stages of the half as they added five points on the bounce through Daniel Quinn 0-2 and three from the impressive Barry McCaffery.

A lare McErlean point for the home side closed the gap to three at the break but St. Brigid’s were right back in contention on the restart as McAleer set up Peter Lundy to punch home.

Back came the Milltown Row side and they responded positively as McCafferty set up substitute Niall O’Neill who finished impressively to restore the visitors advantage.

Things were certainly livening up with the ball being moved around at pace as St. Brigid’s started to take control and Patrick Finnegan marked his return from a long term injury with a good point before Rory McErlean moved his side ahead.

Daniel Quinn replied for the visitors to tie the contest once more with 13 minutes remaining but a minute later St Brigid’s hit the front with their third goal as Downey fisted a teasing ball inside and McErlean rose to finish.

The momentum was now with Naomh Brigid and they added a fourth goal with six minutes remaining as Michael Cummings placed Shay Campbell to fire to the net.

McErlean and Niall Fallon traded late points with Ben Doherty having the final say as St Brigid’s moved to second place in the table and look certain to qualify for the knockout stages while putting a dent in St Gall’s hopes of a top-four finish.

St. Brigid’s:  D Heery; F McKernan, C King, J McCarney; R Carleton (0-1), P King, S Campbell (1-0); M Cummings, J Dowling (0-1); J Toner, N Duffy, A McNicholl; P Lundy (1-0), C McAleer (1-3), R McErlean (1-4, 0-2f).

Subs: B Doherty (0-1) for A McNicholl (HT), E Downey (0-1f) for P Lundy (35), P Finnegan (0-1) for J Toner (39), B McGurk for J Dowling (55), S Doyle for P King (59).

St. Gall’s: C Kerr; M Donnelly, T Keenan, E McCurdy; C MacAdhaimh, C McGirr, C McCabe; C Ryan, M McCrossan; L Lynn, B Bradley (1-1), M Hopkins; N Fallon (0-1), B McCaffrey (0-3), D Quinn (0-3, 1f).

Subs: N O’Neill (1-1) for M Hopkins (HT), D MacLiam for M Donnelly (37), C Walsh for B McCaffrey (40), R Irvine for M McCrossan (47), E Walsh for B Bradley (52).

Referee: Conall Roberts (St John’s)

ACFL Division 2A

Naomh Padraig 1-13 St. Paul’s 2-8

A goal from the penalty spot in the 29^th minute from Eoin Dixon turned this keenly contested game in favour of Naomh Padraig Lisburn as they finished strongly to edge out St. Paul’s at Kirkwoods Park on Wednesday night.

The home side had enjoyed the better of the opening half and led by two at the halfway stage but the Shaw’s Road side came storming back at the start of the second half with three quick points to take the lead and a goal from Shea Burns looked to have put them in a strong position with 14 minutes gone.

Two pointed frees from Lorcan Phillips looked to have clinched for the visitors with 8 minutes of normal time remaining but it would prove to be the ‘Hoops’ last score as Naomh Padraig finished strongly to edge it by a point.

Conor Ewing, Colm Burns, Josh McMullan 0-3, Francis McMeel, James Morgan, and Eoin Dixon were the Lisburn side’s first half marksmen while three points from Lorcan Phillips (0-2 f’s) and a goal from Niall McStravick with virtually the last action of the half kept St. Paul’s in touch.

Caoimhin Duffy pointed within 30 seconds of the restart and added another to draw the side’s level with three minutes gone and when he fired to the net in the 9^th minute the momentum had swung significantly in favour of the Shaw’s Road side.

Francis McMeel pulled one back for Naomh Padraig with their first point of the half in the 12^th minute but the St. Paul’s response was decisive as Shea Burns netted at the other end to put the visitors four ahead.

Che Smyth replied for the Kirkwood Park side but two more converted frees by the deadly accurate Phillips looked to be enough but they then lost Niall McStravick to a ‘Black’ card.

A point from a Francis McMeel free and Dixon’s penalty conversion closed the gap to one as the game entered time added on with Dixon levelling matters before Rudi Smyth’s dramatic winner from a 35^th minute free out on the sideline, a score worthy of winning any game.

Naomh Padraig scorers: Eoin Dixon 1-2, Josh McMullan 0-3, Conor Ewing 0-1, Francis McMeel 0-04, Conor Ewing 0-1, James Morgan 0-1, Che Smyth 0-1.

St. Paul’s scorers: Lorcan Phillips 0-5, Caoimhin Duffy 0-2, Conall Duffy 0-1, Niall McStravick 1-0, Shea Burns 1-0

Referee: Paul Burns (Naomh Comhghall)

O’Neill’s ACFL Division One

St Ergnats Moneyglass 0:11 v Glenravel 1:09

In the dying seconds of this encounter it was Eamon Fyfe who found the Moneyglass net to take the points on a sunkissed evening in Marrion Hill. There was never going to be much between these two in the chase for 2 valuable points at the bottom half of the table and it was exactly that, with the finest of margins separating them at the end. The result leaves Benny Marrons Moneyglass side at the foot of the table with just the one win to date, but all is not lost as the bottom four in this division enter a play-off to determine who makes the drop to Division 2 next season.  

It was the visitors who started the brighter and raced into a 3 point lead with scores coming from Eamon Fyfe (2) and Daniel Mc Quillan. Fyfe looked lively in the opening quarter and was proving a handful for the Moneyglass defenders, however the home side opened their account with their first score of the game through Aidan Mc Erlain as a result of a minor slip in defence by Glenravel. The men in blue worked hard around the middle in the opening quarter with Seanchan Duffin, Paul Duffin and Kevin Mc Cann attempting to provide the ammunition to the forward line.

They did just that with 18mins gone when teenager Sean Boyd gathered a cleverly guided pass from Dermot Mc Erlain to call the “mark” just inside the 45 and duly converted to double their tally. The game was tied at 0-03 apiece when Boyd again cut through at pace and slotted over a fine individual effort. He raised the white flag minutes later with a good interchange of play involving Dermot Mc Erlain and Conor Boyd to take his tally to 0-3.

The home side were trying to stamp their authority on the game at this stage and with the ejection of Connor Mc Neill on 20mins for what the referee deemed a black card saw the visitors reduced to 14 for the remaining 10minutes. This didn’t seem to have the impact everyone had imagined as Glenravel rattled off three in a row through Daragh Donaghy (2) and Daniel Mc Quillan to leave the score at 0-05 v 0-06 at the end of the half.

The start of the second half saw the introduction of former Antrim minor Niall Hynds in the Glenravel forward line but it was his former teammate Sean Boyd who registered the first point to level the game. Con Magees nipped ahead with a converted 45 from Hynds after 36mins and that was cancelled out when Dermot McErlain found himself in on the end of the break ball to slot over his first of the game.

A Conleth O Loan point kept the scoreboard ticking for the visitors, but the home side upped the ante at this stage and through some creative passages of play saw scores come from Colm Duffin, Paul Duffin and Dermot Mc Erlain. The finish line was in sight for the home side with only minutes remaining, but Glenravel weren’t finished yet, they pressured the ball and surged forward and Fyfe was again out in front to claim control and convert from the right to pull one back 0-11 v 0-9.

Glenravel won the ball from the kick out well fielded from Callum Higgins only to be fouled on the way through. It was every man back for Moneyglass as normal time was up, the ball lobbed in by Daragh Donaghy and a scramble in around the goal mouth fell to Eamon Fyfe who’s shot somehow found its way past Jamie Mc Laughlin and into the Moneyglass net, sheer disappointment for the home side, but elation for the visitors. The final whistle was blown to leave it 0-11 v 1-09 and another result that could have gone either way.

St Ergnats: 1 Jamie Mc Laughlin, 2 C Mc Stocker, 3 Diarmuid Scullin, 4 James Mc Cormick, 23 Matthew Mullan, 6 Seanchan Duffin, 7 Paul Duffin (0-1), 8 Kevin Mc Cann, 9 Dermot Mc Erlain (0-1), 10 Connor O Kane, 11 Colm Duffin (Capt 0-3, 2f), 12 Conor Boyd, 13 Sean Boyd (0-5, 1m), 14 Aidan Mc Erlain (0-1), 15 Jimmy Mc Meel

Glenravel Scorers: Eamon Fyfe (1-3), Daniel Mc Quillan (0-2), Daragh Donaghy (0-2), Niall Hynds (0-1 “45”), Conleth O Loan (0-1)

Referee: Ray Matthews (Rossa)