Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship, Group One
O'Donovan Rossa 1-16 St Ergnat's, Moneyglass 1-9
ROSSA kept their Antrim Senior Football Championship hopes alive as they got their first points in Group One thanks to a convincing seven-point win over Moneyglass on home soil on Friday.
Hugh McGettigan's men had eight different scorers on a gloomy evening with Dominic McEnhill topping the list with 0-7 and five of those points from play.
The city side will be a tad disappointed with the last few minutes of the game as they let the visitors in for 1-3 in stoppage time, but the issue had long been decided as they took what was a vital win to stay in touch of the top two in the group, with Moneyglass's hopes all but extinguished.
From the start, the hosts were in possession but were forced to try and find a way through a packed Moneyglass defence that had as many as 14 behind the ball on occasions as they forced Rossa to pass and probe for openings.
The first two attacks resulted in wides and indeed, it was the visitors first to register as the broke and won a free that was converted by Conor Boyd four minutes in.
Eoghan McMenamin looks for a pass
Rossa finally got off the mark on six minutes with McEnhill gathering in traffic to spin and curl over before converting a free that put his side into a lead they would hold until the finish.
A fisted point from Thomas Morgan opened a two-point gap at the water-break and while Colum Duffin finished a fine, flowing move for Moneyglass as play restarted, Rossa owned the remainder of the half as they began to solve the riddle and work the ball into better positions with Matthew Mallon - wearing 13 but mostly operating a sweeper - scoring from the left before Eoghan McMenamin and Michael Armstrong kicked good points.
A brace from McEnhill - one an excellent point from play out on the left corner - and an injury-time score from Cormac McGettigan gave Rossa a 0-9 to 0-2 lead at the break and Moneyglass plenty to think about.
The visitors enjoyed a good start to the second period as Duffin converted a pair of frees early on to hint at a revival, but after a magical effort from the outside of the boot by McMenamin at the other end, Jack McCoy got just ahead of Rossa goalkeeper Mick Byrne to an inviting pass inside by Jervis Weir but the ball came back off the post and play then halted as Byrne was hurt in the collision.
Rossa simply stepped on the gas again with McEnhill finishing a good move, Conal McDonald landing a free and then Gerard Walsh advancing upfield to score and put nine between the teams.
A Sean Kelly point just before the water-break trimmed the gap back slightly, but any lingering doubts as to where the points were heading were extinguished as play resumed with Rossa going on the attack and a good move resulted in substitute Sean Pat Donnelly putting Thomas Morgan in to lash to the net, with McEnhill converting a free straight after to push the gap out to 12.
Dominic McEnhill gets away from Fearghal Duffin
The hosts would be forced to play with 14 for 10 minutes when Mallon picked up a black card, but still out-scored their opponents by two points to one as both sides rung the changes late on.
As darkness descended, the issue had long since been resolved, but credit to Moneyglass who kept pushing and were rewarded with that scoring burst in injury-time as Duffin kicked two points before full-back Peter McCormick thumped to the net and then substitute Aidan McErlain kicked a point with the final act of the game, but it was simply consolation as Rossa had done more than enough to run out worthy winners.
ROSSA: M Byrne; C Orchin, P Moyes, N Crossan; G Walsh (0-1), R Gowdy, C McGuinness; C McGettigan (0-2), S Beatty; D McEnhill (0-7, 2 frees), M Armstrong (0-1), C McDonald (0-1 free); M Mallon (0-1), E McMenamin (0-2), T Morgan (1-1).
Subs: SP Donnelly for C McDonald (44), C Fleming for M Armstrong (53), J Cooley for S Beatty (55), D Grego for T Morgan (56), C McGowan for C Orchin (57).
MONEYGLASS: G Murray; C McStocker, Peter McCormick (1-0), L O'Donnell; S Kelly (0-1), F Duffin, J Weir; T Duffin, C Duffin (0-6, 3 frees); K McPeake, Patrick McCormick, M Neeson; C Boyd (0-1 free), J McCoy, C O'Kane.
Subs: A McErlain (0-1) for K McPeake (29), C Prenter for C McStocker (HT), J McCormick for C O'Kane (43), T Cassidy for L O'Donnell (51), D Neeson for M Neeson (54).
REFEREE: Fionntan McCotter (Sarsfield's)
