by thesaffrongael

Spoils shared in Creggan

Antrim ACFL Division 1:

 St Mary’s Aghagallon 2-11 Kickham’s Creggan 1-14

Report and photos by Brian Hamill

St Mary’s Aghagallon and Kickham’s Creggan shared the spoils after a dramatic Division One encounter in Creggan on Wednesday evening, the sides finishing level on 17 points apiece after a stirring second-half comeback from the home side.

Aghagallon looked well on course for the points at the interval after a controlled opening half saw them establish a six-point cushion, 1-9 to 0-6. Their greater efficiency in front of goal and a strong spread of scorers left them in command, with their opening goal, by Ruairi McCann, giving them a platform they maintained through the second quarter.

Creggan, however, emerged with renewed intent after the turnaround and gradually chipped away at the deficit, driven by the accuracy of Shea McCann, who finished with points from open play and placed balls.

The key moment in the comeback arrived in the 50th minute when Creggan wing-back Dominic McAteer burst through to fire home a well-taken goal, levelling the contest at 1-10 to 1-10 and swinging momentum firmly in the hosts’ favour.

That parity was short-lived, however, as Aghagallon responded impressively. Within three minutes, they struck for their second major, with Gareth Magee finishing clinically to restore the visitors’ advantage and underline their attacking threat.

With the game in the balance entering the closing stages, Aghagallon appeared to have done enough when they nudged two scores clear, but Creggan refused to yield. Their use of the new two-point arc proved decisive in keeping them in contention.

The decisive moment came deep into added time when Jamie McCann stepped up to convert a superb two-point effort, tying the match at 1-14 to 2-11 and ensuring the spoils were shared after a contest that ebbed and flowed throughout.

Aghagallon will rue missed opportunities to close out the game, particularly after twice regaining the lead in the second half, but they can take encouragement from their attacking display.

Defensively, both sides had their moments, with Aghagallons keeper Luke Mulholland, saving two shots on goal and Creggan also registering key saves at vital junctures to keep themselves within reach before launching their late surge.

In the end, a draw was probably a fair reflection of a contest that saw spells of dominance from both sides, Aghagallon impressing early and Creggan finishing with a flourish to secure a hard-earned share of the points.

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by thesaffrongael

Casements Too Strong For Con Magees

ACFL Division 1

Portglenone 4 – 20    Glenravel 0 – 09

Portglenone got off to a blistering start in this round seven division one league encounter when Oisin Doherty posted three individual white flags within two minutes of referee Paddy Tumeltys whistle, and the home side never looked back. It may have turned out a bit differently had Casements keeper Kevin Mullan not got a fingertip to turn a speculative lob wide of his post to deny Harry Fyfe a certain goal, as within a minute Michael Donnelly sent Oisin Doherty through for Portglenone’s fourth point.

Glenravel responded with a trio of their own from David Higgins, Declan Trainor and Joe Martin to reduce the deficit to the minimum.

The second quarter saw Casements hit a purple patch with Oisin Doherty adding another duo to bring his individual point tally to six, whilst also supplying a delightful layoff to impressive youngster Tom Duffin who made no mistake from close range.

Ryan Lennon and Eamon Ward raised white flags for the visitors but the gap at half time had stretched to eleven and it looked a long way back for the visitors.

The second half saw Portglenone open up on the scoreboard with three green flags which effectively ended the game as a contest. Michael Donnelly goaled within thirty seconds of the restart, and a few minutes later Tom Duffin added his second major to cap another fine display. When Aidan McAleese added another a few minutes later this game was over as a contest.

Glenravel were missing a number of their county contingent, but to their credit never gave up the fight. Declan McAuley and another batch from impressive Ryan Lennon kept their tally ticking over but on this occasion they were simply outclassed.

Aidan McAleese was the star performer on view, the lanky midfielder dominated midfield proceedings while still taking time to contribute a goal and six points over the hour. Stephen Kelly contributed four late points too as the game filtered out to its inevitable conclusion.

Glenravel will provide a test for most when their full contingent return, and on the night Ryan Lennon, Joe Martin, David Higgins and Sean Higgins posted fine individual displays, whilst full back Eoin McCusker can be happy that he eventually got to terms with Casements Oisin Doherty after a shaky start.

For Casements it was good to see them play fast direct football and in a good all round team performance Oisin Doherty looked sharp, getting himself back amongst the scores, whilst Tom Duffin, Dermot McAleese, Conor McGhee, Shane Delargy Johnny Convery and particularly Aidan McAleese looked solid on the night.

Casements scorers; Aidan McAleese 1 – 06, Oisin Doherty 0 – 06, Tom Duffin 2 – 00, Stephen Kelly 0 – 04, Michael Donnelly 1 – 00, Ronan Kelly 0 – 02, Odhran Doherty 0 – 02.

Glenravel scorers; Ryan Lennon 0 – 04, David Higgins 0 – 01, Joe Martin 0 – 01, Declan McAuley 0 – 01, Eamon Ward 0 – 01, Declan Trainor 0 – 01.

Referee: Paddy Tumelty (Lamh Dhearg)

by thesaffrongael

St Brigid’s Turn on the Style in Dominant Victory Over St Paul’s

ACFL Division One

St Paul’s: 0-7 St Brigid’s: 1-24 – Venue: Shaw’s Road,

Belfast Referee: Kevin Parke

Played in ideal conditions on Wednesday evening, a slick-moving St Brigid’s side put on an absolute exhibition of attacking football. Making the short journey over to Shaws Road, the visitors were dominant from the first whistle to the last, securing an emphatic 20-point victory over hosts St Paul’s. The Musgrave Park side entered the tie determined to get their league campaign back on track after consecutive defeats to St Gall’s and Cargin left them with ground to make up. They did exactly that, finding their rhythm in spectacular fashion.

St Brigid’s flew out of the traps, setting the tone inside the opening 60 seconds when Reuben Carleton slotted a two-point free. Winning the ensuing kick-out, Niall Duffy cut inside with a terrific piece of skill and had the net at his mercy, only to be denied by an inspired save from St Paul’s goalkeeper Jack McAulfield, who played really well throughout, despite his team’s heavey defeat. It was a case of relentless attacking pressure. If not for McAulfield playing like a man possessed, the visitors would have had the game completely out of sight inside ten minutes. Jack Dowling, Dara Quinn, and JJ Higgins all mustered shots on goal, but the acrobatic stopper kept them at bay.

Eventually, following groans from the sideline urging them to take the easy points on offer rather than forcing goals, St Brigid’s adjusted their sights. Conor King fired over their first score from play, quickly followed by impressive strikes from inside the arc by James Smith and JJ Higgins. As St Paul’s struggled to retain possession in the middle of the park, Paul Bradley and Higgins kept the scoreboard ticking. The hosts finally got off the mark midway through the half when Shea Burns raised a white flag, hoping to eat into the eight-point deficit.

However, St Brigid’s response was instant. Higgins replied immediately, and Niall Duffy struck an exquisite point after spinning his defender inside out. While St Paul’s managed late points from Liam McKenna and Lorcan Phillips, St Brigid’s finished the half as they started it. Jack Dowling and Oran Downey both pointed to send the visitors into the changing rooms with a skip in their step and a commanding 11-point lead.

While St Paul’s late first-half flurry offered a glimmer of hope, St Brigid’s quickly extinguished it upon the restart, keeping their foot firmly on the throttle. Paul Bradley opened the second-half scoring, and Niall Duffy followed up with a quickfire brace. The South Belfast men then showcased their long-range accuracy, landing two massive two-point efforts from outside the arc: first, a drilled strike from the far-left by Carleton, followed by a thumping effort from Brian McGurk.

With confidence surging, St Brigid’s finally breached McAulfield’s defences to find the game’s only goal. Niall Duffy’s initial shot was tipped onto the inside of the post by the hard-working keeper, but the ball rolled perfectly into the path of the oncoming JJ Higgins, who smashed it into the empty net. St Paul’s continued to fight, with Ciaron Rogers-Duffy clipping over two late frees to marginally reduce the deficit. However, the visitors were relentless. McGurk pointed again, substitute Conan McNicholl planted his feet to drill a score, and Niall Duffy capped off a brilliant individual performance with his fifth point of the evening before the final whistle blew.

The result marks a superb return to form for St Brigid’s. Meanwhile, St Paul’s are left to lick their wounds; winless in four games, they now sit precariously above the relegation zone on score difference.

St Paul’s: Jack McAulfield; Cian McCann, Aodhan Kavanagh, Miceal Duffy; Niall McKenna, Conor Hughes, Mark Munce; James Farrell, Cormac Trainor; Patrick Crawford, Conall Duffy, Lorcan Phillips 0-1, Shea Burns 0-1, Liam McKenna 0-1, Ciaron Roger’s Duffy 0-3 (0-3f)

St Brigid’s: Fergus McCann; Aodhan McNicholl, Conor King 0-2, Joseph McCarney; Brian McGurk 0-3 (1xTP), Peter King, Reuben Carlton 0-4 (2xTP); Paddy Finnegan, Jack Dowling 0-1; Dara Quinn, Oran Downey 0-1 (0-1f), Paul Bradley 0-2; Niall Duffy 0-5, James Smith 0-2, JJ Higgins 1-3

Family affair. JJ Higgins was top scorer for St Brigid’s while his dad Lawrence was part of the St Paul’s management team

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by thesaffrongael

St. Mary’s Ahoghill Power to Victory at Woodlands

Naomh Úna (St. Agnes’) 1-09 St. Mary’s Ahoghill 1-17

St. Mary’s Ahoghill delivered a professional performance at Woodlands, pulling away in the second half to secure a comprehensive eight-point win over Naomh Úna.

The opening period was a high-octane affair with both sides finding the net. Colla McDonnell gave Ahoghill a flying start with a goal in the 4th minute, while Mark Boyle kept the “Aggies” in contention with a goal of his own at the 24-minute mark. Points from McDonnell (0-2), James O’Connell (0-2), and the Crossey brothers, Noel and Conor (0-1 each), helped the visitors to a three-point lead at the break. Naomh Úna’s first-half resistance was led by Daithi McGaharan (0-2) and Conall Turley (0-1).

Half-time: Naomh Úna 1-03 St. Mary’s Ahoghill 1-06

Ahoghill’s clinical edge told in the second half as they methodically added to their tally. James O’Connell led the charge with four points, while Patrick Graham (0-2) and Colla McDonnell (0-2) also contributed multiple scores. Dan O’Neill, Donal Graham, and Conor Crossey added a point apiece to ensure the visitors remained in total control.

Naomh Úna continued to battle, with Cormac McBride hitting two fine points and Conall Turley, Paddy Toner, and David McGaharan all finding the range. However, they couldn’t claw back the deficit as Ahoghill’s superior point-scoring ability secured a vital two points for the Cloney side.

This win keeps St. Mary’s Ahoghill very much in the promotion race, one point behind league leaders St. Enda’s, and following relegation from division 1 last year the Cloney men could be on course for a quick return to the higher grade.

It’s been a different story for the ‘Aggies’ who were division 3 and Junior Championship winners last year but have yet to register a win in the higher grade. They lost half a dozen players following last year’s success to emigration but there were tentative signs on Wednesday night that first win of the season might not be too far away.

Naomh Úna Scorers: Mark Boyle (1-00), David McGaharan (0-03), Cormac McBride (0-02), Conall Turley (0-02), Paddy Toner (0-01), James Halleron (0-01).

St. Mary’s Ahoghill Scorers: James O’Connell (0-06), Colla McDonnell (1-04), Patrick Graham (0-02), Noel Crossey (0-01), Conor Crossey (0-02), Dan O’Neill (0-01), Donal Graham (0-01).

by thesaffrongael

Aldergrove edge excellent encounter at Dunsilly

ACFL Division 2

Naomh Comhghall 2-6 St. James’ Aldergrove 0-14

Report and Pics: Dominic Kelly

Played at Dunsilly in near-perfect conditions, this Division 2 clash between Naomh Comhghall CLG and Naomh Séamas lived up to expectations, with the visitors arriving higher in the league standings and intent on maintaining their strong form.

The Antrim town side made an electric start, with Miles Devine opening the scoring inside the first minute. However, Naomh Séamas responded immediately through Cormac McGarry to level matters. Naomh Comhghall CLG then began to settle, moving the ball with pace and purpose as they looked to exploit their quick full-forward line.

Their growing dominance told on the scoreboard, with James McCabe converting a point in the 5th minute before Dylan Murdock followed up almost instantly with another fine effort. The home side continued to look dangerous in attack and were rewarded on the 9th minute when midfielder Aaron McGaw finished a well-worked move to the net.

Naomh Séamas, though, showed their quality and resilience. McGarry struck an excellent two-pointer to keep his side in touch, but Naomh Comhghall remained on top for much of the first half, adding further points through Ryan Clarke and Tiernan Floyd. The visitors closed the half strongly, however, with a two-pointer from Ferghal Burke narrowing the gap to leave the hosts behind 1-3 to 0-7 at the break.

Naomh Séamas carried that momentum into the second half, taking control early on with two quick points from Brian McQuillan. Although Tiernan Floyd responded for the town side, Naomh Comhghall then endured a difficult spell, losing their rhythm for a sustained period.

Sensing their opportunity, Naomh Séamas surged ahead with a series of well-taken scores from Oisín Fogarty, Christopher McSteen and Seamus McGarry, turning the game firmly in their favour.

To their credit, the Antrim men rallied late on. Aaron McGaw struck for his second goal of the game to give the home support renewed hope, and substitute Tomás Patchett added a point to close the gap further.

However, Naomh Séamas showed composure in the closing stages. Cormac McGarry and Ryan Owens both landed excellent late points to seal the victory for the visitors.

In the end, Naomh Séamas’ strong second-half performance proved decisive as they claimed a 2-6 to 0-14 win, overcoming a bright start from Naomh Comhghall CLG in an entertaining and hard-fought encounter.

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