Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship, Group One
O'Donovan Rossa 0-12 St John's 0-9

ROSSA recovered from a slow start to score a vital win over old rivals St John's on home turf in Group One of the Antrim Senior Football Championship on Wednesday evening.

Three weeks ago at Corrigan Park, the Johnnies were three-point winners and the scored was reversed on this occasion with Colm Fleming's pointed free with the last kick of the ball leaving no head-to-head advantage for either team should it come into play at the end of the group stage.

However, that is for another day as this game was one that these rivals were both desperate to win on its own merit and the efforts on the field reflected as much with the game open in parts and cagey in others with both having their chances, but it was the performance of Rossa's Dominic McEnhill that shone in the September sun as he landed eight points including three from play.

It was St John's who made the much better start and landed the opening point through Padraig Nugent, although Rossa had their first of three near misses for goal when Richard Gowdy cracked the post.

The Johnnies did have the upper hand in the opening 10 minutes and were four clear as they were able to disrupt the Rossa kick-out and power through for scores with efforts from Matthew Fitzpatrick and Conor McEvoy eye-catching.

Rossa gradually settled and were level by the water-break as McEnhill led with he way with a brace and the hosts' pace on the front foot started to become a problem as the game opened up.

McEnhill edged them ahead from a free upon the resumption, but the Johnnies would take a 0-6 to 0-5 lead into the half as Conal Bohill levelled and a long free from Padraig Nugent gave them the advantage after what had been an entertaining opening half.

The game became much more cagey in the second period with a pair of McEnhill frees edging Rossa ahead, but a magnificent effort from Padraig Nugent from the tightest of angles on the right tied it up again.

Both teams had some poor wides, but it was up to McEnhill to give Rossa a 0-8 to 0-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter where there hosts would find themselves temporarily down to 14 as Niall Crossan was black-carded for trailing down Fitzpatrick.

The Johnnies just didn't take advantage of their numerical superiority as McEnhill and McBride traded pointed frees and Rossa were left wondering how the ball stayed out of the net when a punt inside by Eoghan McMenamin was fumbled and Sean Pat Donnelly was lurking, but somehow the ball stubbornly couldn't be turned over the line in a goalmouth scramble as St John's cleared.

Donnelly did kick a point and then Rossa's Stephen Beatty was awarded advantage with his shot coming off the crossbar, although play was brought back for a free that McEnhill converted.

McBride pointed at the other end to bring the gap to two after a St John's goal chance came and went, but in stoppage time, one last Rossa foray resulted in a free that was curled over by Fleming that could change the dynamic of the rest of the group campaign for both sides.

ROSSA: M Byrne; C Orchin, S Shannon, J Cooley (0-1); M McGreevy, R Gowdy, N Crossan; C McGettigan, S Beatty; D McEnhill (0-8, 0-5f), E McMenamin, C McDonald (0-1f); M Mallon, C Fleming (0-1f), SP Donnelly (0-1).
Subs: D Grego for C McDonald (45), G McGrath for M McGreevy (53)

ST JOHN'S: P Donnelly; M Dudley, C Garland, C McEvoy (0-1); S Tierney, M Bradley, P McBride (0-2, 1f); C Bohill (0-1), S McDonagh; M Fitzpatrick (0-1), D Nugent, A McGowan; C Quinn,  C McGlade (0-1f), P Nugent (0-3, 1f).
Subs: L Heenan for A McGowan (HT), J Bohill for S Tierney (HT), R McCafferty for S McDonagh (45), D Bellew for C Quinn (53)

REFEREE: Darren McKeown (St Gall's)