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)

A C League Division One

Erin’s Own Cargin 2-12 Casement’s Portglenone 0-12

‘Goals win games’ is an old adage which oft time rings true and indeed such was the case following a closely contested Division 1 encounter in Toome on Wednesday evening when Cargin played hosts to reigning league champions Casement’s of Portglenone in a top of the table clash before a big attendance. Although little separated the sides in the end a couple of major scores from the county champions in the second half proved the difference in the end, the first coming from a defence slip, which was expertly dispatched to the net by James Laverty and the second from the man who supplied Laverty, full forward Mick McCann.

A keenly anticipated encounter ensured a good crowd was in attendance at Toome, in splendid conditions on Wednesday evening   and despite the fact that both the teams fielded short a few regulars, they produced a really good contest.

Casements started the better and raised back to back whites in the opening minutes via Conall Delargy and Ronan Kelly before Callum Gribbin, a teenager with a big future in the Green and white, nipped away to open the home teams’ account.

Paddy Kelly who was to prove accurate in the extreme for the visitors increased the Casements’ advantage with a smart delivery between the posts in the 10^th minute and after the home side’s David Johnston replied in kind, the former quickly followed suit with another good finish.

There was little to separate the sides as the game progressed past the opening quarter when the home side were reduced in personnel for a ten minute period, due to James Laverty receiving a black card. With the score tied at 0-06 apiece as Pat Shivers and John Carron points mirrored similar scores at the other end by Michael Hagan and Aiden Mc Aleese the contest was building nicely.

The visitors had nipped ahead as the home side were reduced in number and although a point from Pat Shivers did see the home side return fire further whites raised in the last minutes of the period by the ever accurate Paddy Kelly and corner forward Ciaran Mc Aleese gave Portglenone an 0-08 to 0-06 advantage at the interval.

The Bannsider’s started the second period with their two point advantage but Cargin soon reduced that to the minimum when the ever dangerous Michael McCann  pulled one back in the 32^nd minute after good approach work by Calum Gribbin and Tom Shivers.

The visitors were quick to return fire and Conor Magee replied to restore Casements two point advantage, but Cargin produced a prompt reply.

Big Geard Mc Cann raised following a good interchange involving Tom Shivers and when Michael Mc Cann took advantage of sloppiness in the Casements defence to flick a breaking ball to James Laverty, the former finished to the back of the net to give the home side a lead they would not subsequently lose

Two points by the excellent Paddy Kelly and another by Ciaran McKenna saw the visitors back on par, but after substitute Tomas Mc Cann and Tom Shivers raised whites, the Toome men had marched ahead to lead 1-10 to 0-10.

The end was nigh for the Portglenone men as the home side stood tall in defiance and with Kevin McShane, Justin Crozier, James Laverty and Hugh O’ Donnell defending stoutly there was no way back for the Casements men. Good work by Crozier then found Gerard McCann with a clearance , who in turn sent  Michael McCann away to find the net and all but end, the contest.

Paddy Kelly did add a late point to the visitor’s tally but late points provided by replacements, Conhuir Johnston and Tomas Mc Cann at the other end allowed the home side to cross the winning line points secured on a winning scoreline of 2-12 to 0-12.

Referee P Tumelty (Lamh Dhearg)

ERIN’S OWN CARGIN  

Shea Laverty, Cahir Donnelly, Kevin Mc Shane, Ronan Gribbin, Justin Crozier (0-01), James Laverty (1-00), Hugh O’ Donnell, Justin Carron, Gerard Mc Cann (0-01), David Johnston (0-01), Pat Shivers (0-02), Benen Kelly, Callum Gribbin (0-01), Michael Mc Cann (1-01), Tom Shivers (0-02)

Subs Tomas Mc Cann (0-02), Conhuir Johnston (0-01)

CASEMENTS

Kevin Mullan, Paddy Graffin, Kevin O’ Kane, Jonny Convery, Caolan Tierney, Ruairi Hagen (0-01), Conor Magee, Stephen Kelly, Aiden Mc Aleese (0-01), Connal Delargy, Paddy Kelly (0-06), Ciaran Mc Kenna (0-01), Ronan Kelly (0-01), Michael Hagen (0-01), Caolan Mc Aleese (0-01)

FOR MORE PICS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

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ACFL Division 1

Tir na nOg 3-8 Creggan 0-9

Tir na nog produced a second half performance of power and pace to sweep aside the challenge of a disappointing Kickham’s Creggan in the ACFL Division 1 at Whitehill on Wednesday night.

The sides were tied at 0-7 each after 18 minutes of the second half in a slow burning affair where both sides sat deep and relied on the counter attack when the home side suddenly found another gear.

Ciaran O’Neill brought the game to life when he got on the end of a swift counter attack where Ryan O’Neill, Emmet Murray and Joshua Higgins combined to set up the Tir na nOg defender for a simple palm in.

This score clearly rattled the visitors though they did reply from a Conor Small converted free but Tir na nOg produced another defence splitting break and substitute Daniel Martin fired past the advancing Oisin Kerr for their second goal.

It was as good as over at this stage with Tiarnan McLarnon making a token response with the visitors last score of the evening with a 26^th minute point before Eamon Og McAllister put the icing on a fine Tir na nOg performance as he fired home goal number three with time almost up.

The early stage of this game were easily forgettable with the visitors enjoying plenty of possession but slow and ponderous in their build up play while the home side showed glimpses of what was to come with a number of swift counter attacks which saw them lead 0-4 to 0-3 at the half way stage.

Aaron McNeilly 0-2 and Darragh Fagan 0-2 shared the scores for the Whitehill side while Conor Small 0-2 and Conor McCann were the Kickham’s marksmen with Small also seeing a rasping shot come back of the crossbar.

Fintan Close, Sean Duffin and Conor Small had the visitors level at 0-6 each by the 13^th minute of the second half with Emmet Murray and Eamon Og McAllister the Tir na nOg marksmen.

Duffin would briefly edge the Kickham’s ahead but Darragh Fagan was quick to restore parity before O’Neill’s opening goal of the evening brought a great response from his colleagues.

They would go on to add two more to move themselves onto 17 points, alongside All Saints and St. Galls and just one behind tonight’s opponents and Portglenone with the race for a top four finish likely to go down to the last game of the season.

Tir na nOg: Sean Paul McAtamney, 2 Sean McKeown, 3 Ciaran McGrellis, 4 Ciaran O’Neill, 5 Paul McCloskey, 6 Barry McKeown, 7 Aaron McNeilly, 8 Joshua Higgins, 9 Oliver McAtamney, 10 Emmet Murray, 11 Eamon Og McAllister, 12 Ryan O’Neill, 13 Christy Sheerin, 14 Darragh Fagan, 15 Aodhan Tolan.

Subs: Daniel Martin for Aodhan Tolan, Alex O’Donnell for Aaron McNeilly

Creggan: 1 Oisin Kerr, 2 Ethan Carey Small, 3 Ricky Johnston, 4 Jake McAteer, 5 Conor Og McCann, 6 Sam Maguire, 7 Sean Duffin, 8 Conor Mor McCann, 9 Patrick McAuley, 10 Tiarnan McLarnon, 11 Joe McAteer, 12 Diarmuid Mulholland, 13 Dominic McAteer, 14 Tiarnan McAteer, 15 Conor Small

Subs: Fintan Close for Diarmuid Mulholland, Matthew Rodgers for Conor Og McCann

Referee: Darren McKeown (St. Gall’s)