ACFL Division 1
St Gall’s 3-28 Aldergrove 2-12

St. Gall’s got back to winning ways following last week’s narrow defeat to Lamh Dhearg when they entertained St. James Aldergrove at Milltown on Wednesday night.

It took the home side a time to get going but when Daniel Quinn hit his side’s first goal, there was no looking back as the scores flowed.

Quinn finished the night with 2-6 and one of those points came from a free which was his side’s only score from a placed ball, while his colleague, Niall Burns finished with 1-9 on the evening and was hugely impressive for the team in blue.

Aldergrove fought hard throughout and never gave up the chase but in the end were a well beaten side and will want to put this one behind them as they prepare for the visit of Ahoghill on Saturday evening.

St Gall’s were first off the mark with Callum Walsh pointing within seconds and Marty Murray added another before Aldergrove got themselves on the score-sheet when Ronan Hanna’s rasping shot at goal was turned over by goalkeeper Kevin Niblock.

Both sides missed chances before Niall Burns began to stamp his mark on the game and the county player would hit three points on the bounce as the home side started to get on top.

Aldergrove continued to look a threat on the break however and Cormac McGarry converted a free before Niblock was again called into action to tip over from Ryan McCarthy.

The visitors continued to threaten the St. Gall’s goal and Eoghan McCurdy cleared off the line from Declan Gough, but St James’ finally found the net in the 18th minute as a long delivery to Ryan McCarthy saw him place Hanna to fire home.

This brought a strong response from the Milltown side as they hit 2-7 without reply in the space of 10 minutes, with Dubhaltach MacLiam sending Daniel Quinn through to confidently finish.

Niall Burns, Walsh and Quinn added points, including a two-pointer from Burns before he palmed home the second goal and although Hanna replied with a point, late points from Burns and Quinn had St Gall’s leading 2-14 to 1-4 at the break.

St. Gall’s continued to apply the pressure as the second half got underway  as Walsh and Murray kicked early scores with Sean Fay replying at the other end, but the Milltown side were in full flight as they added the next six through Conor Stinton, Conn Doherty and Eoghan McCurdy and the gap was out to 20.

Aldergrove kept battling against the odds and Hanna palmed over when a goal looked certain and then Conor Browning’s shot sailed over with another goal opportunity a begging.

St Gall’s always had a response however with Quinn kicking their only free of the evening and Aodhán Gallagher also getting in on the act.

Substitutes Glenn Dunham and Ethan Walsh traded points before Aldergrove finally got the reward their efforts deserved when Hanna got a touch to Brian McQuillan’s delivery.

The hosts hit back with one of their own two minutes later as substitute Michael Hopkins sent Quinn clear and he finished confidently to the net.

Despite the result being beyond doubt Aldergrove finished strongly as they hit the last four points through Hanna (two frees), Declan Gough and Chris McSteen, but it only served to put a better look on the final score-line.

St. Gall’s: K Niblock; C Hale, C Burke, E McCurdy (0-1); R Wilson, D MacLiam, C McCabe; A Gallagher (0-1), C Stinton (0-2); M Murray (0-2), B Bradley, N Burns (1-9, 1xtp); C Walsh (0-4), C Doherty (0-2), D Quinn (2-6, 0-1f). 
Subs: L Lynn for C McCabe (38), E Walsh (0-1) for R Wilson (38), A McDonagh for M Murray (45), M Pollock for B Badley (49), M Hopkins for C Walsh (49)

Aldergrove: O McGarry; Christopher Browning, E Irvine, M Burns; D Gough (0-1), C McVeigh, E Gough; Conor Browning (0-1), O Graham; SP Fay (0-1), C McGarry (0-1f), B McQuillan; R McCarthy (0-1), R Hanna 2-5, 0-2f), K Jones.
Subs: C McSteen (0-1) for C McGarry (24), C Fogarty for Christopher Browning (32), G Dunham (0-1) for R McCarthy (45), M Smart for SP Fay (48), C Totten for K Jones (50).

Referee: Patrick Tumelty

Antrim Football League Division 2

Rasharkin 2-11 St Comgall’s 3-13

St Comgall’s came from five points down at half time to beat Rasharkin by five in Wednesday evening highly entertaining Division 2 League game at Dreen. The home team held the upper hand for most of the first half and were 0-10 to 0-03 ahead at one stage, but when St Comgall’s got it back to five by half time you felt they were in a strong position, considering the strength of the breeze, and so it proved.

A 2-pointer from Brian Og O’Neill got Rasharkin away to a good start and when they added the next three points, one of them from an O’Neill free, they were five to the good.

Man of the match Ryan Clarke, who was to end up with 3-2 to his name, brought St Comgall’s right back into the game. He grabbed his first goal after a well worked move through the middle, but Ryan Lynch fired home at the other end for the home side and when Donagh Quigg and O’Neill added points apiece they were seven ahead. However the Antrim men finished the first half strongly and points from Ruairi Griffin and Tom Patchett brought the gap back to five by half time.

St Comgall’s cut the gap to just two early in the second half, Patchett, Devine and Clarke hitting the target, and you felt it was only a matter of time until they hit the front. However a good move through the middle by the home side saw Brian Og O’Neill get his team’s second goal. The home didn’t get a chance to see the benefit of that goal as St Comgall’s had the ball in the net at the other end within a minute.

Ryan Lynch pulled another point back for Rasharkin, but the scoring dried up for them after that and when Clarke completed his hat-trick for the visitors the writing was on the wall, and when Ruairi Griffin added two points the Antrim men had the upper hand. Rasharkin did have chances but they found the scores harder to come by playing into the Pavillion end and all they could muster was another point by O’Neill.

St Comgall’s were well on top but not 100% certain of the win, but they finished strongly with five points on the trot to wrap up the points and move themselves up out of the relegation zone.

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ACFL Division 1

Cuchullian’s 2-7 All Saints 4-12

All Saints had their county players available for the first time this year as they travelled to Dunloy but it was one of their former county men, Paddy McAleer who again showed why his county are missing his services.

McAleer stepped down following a distinguished career for the Saffrons and it is his club who have reaped the benefits this season as he has turned in man of the match appearances on several occasions.

The St. Louis Ballymena teacher, now lives in Ballycastle but has thrown his weight behind a club he has served so well and he was at his best again at Pearse Park on Wednesday night as he finished with 3-0 to his credit.

His first came after 21 minutes as he rose to palm a James McDonnell fisted cross past Sean Doherty to give the visitors the lead for the first time after Jack McShane and Kevin McQuillan had opened with early points for the home side.

Cuchullian’s quite simply didn’t make enough of the strong wind at their backs and it was the Slemish Park side who dominated early possession but were unable to turn it into scores as they kicked 5 wides in the opening ten minutes.

Connell Lemon and Peter McReynolds settled them with a couple of points before Tom McFerran moved Dunloy two ahead again from a 30 meter free after Matty Downey was adjudged to have touched the ball on the ground.

McAleer’s first goal lifted the visitors and Connell Lemon, Paidi Mitchell and Benny McDonnell added points before Tom McFerran got the final point of the half for the home side to leave it 1-6 to 0-5 at the break.

With the wind now firmly in their favour, All Saints were expected to push on as the action got under way but a number of early passes were over hit or went astray and they were made to pay when the excellent Anton McGrath waltzed through a stagnant defence to fire past Ryan Stewart with five minutes of the half gone.

It seemed to fire Baker Bradley’s side into action however and Conor Stewart shot straight at Sean Doherty when a goal looked on but made amends, a minute later when he palmed to an empty net after Sean McVeigh and Kavan Keenan had combined to create the opening.

Stewart and McVeigh added points before Paddy McAleer rose above Sean Doherty to fist a McVeigh delivery to the net in the 15^th minute.

Two minutes later the All Saints number 11 robbed Doherty as he attempted to clear to return the ball to the net and complete his hat-trick and the same player followed with a point to move the visitors 4-10 to 1-7 ahead.

Stewart and McVeigh would add two further points as their scoring dried up with a Matthew Downey attempt coming back of a post and the home side were finally rewarded for their efforts as Anton McGrath got through for his second goal of the evening with the full-time whistle sounding from the kick-out.

A seventh win in nine starts for the Ballymena side whose pace and movement caused problems for a Dunloy side who were without a number of starters but who battled hard throughout.

Once again it was Paddy McAleer who ran the show and his work rate matched his finishing throughout while Matty Downey and James McDonnell in defence, Peter McReynolds at mid-field and Paidin Michel and Sean McVeigh also impressed.

Anton McGrath was Cuchullian’s best performer on the night with Conor Kinsella, Padraig McGilligan, Tom McFerran, Jack McShane and Kevin McQuillan were others to impress for Dunloy.

Dunloy: 1 Sean Doherty, 2 Ben O’Kane, 3 Conor Kinsella, 4 Cathair McCloskey, 5 Anton McGrath, 6 Callum Scullion, 7 Padraig Martin, 8 Padraig McGilligan, 9 Ryan McFarlane, 10 Charlie Cunning, 11 Tom McFerran, 12 Jack McShane, 13 Oisin McCamphill, 14 Kevin McQuillan, 15 Luke McFerran

Subs: Sean Og Blaney, Adrian Scullion, Karl Fitzpatrick, Oisin McErlane

All Saints: 1 Ryan Stewart, 2 Matthew Downey, 3 Kavan Keenan, 4 Cal O’Brien, 5 Patrick Ferris, 6 Shaun O’Callaghan, 7 James McDonnell, 8 Conor Stewart, 9 Peter McReynolds, 10 Connell Lemon, 11 Paddy McAleer, 12 Brendan McDonnell, 13 Ciaran Campbell, 14 Sean McVeigh, 15 Paidin Mitchell

Subs: Michael McCarry, Rian Tom, Harry Connon, Peter McNicholl, Joe Rafferty

Referee: Cathal McDermott

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