Homefit Antrim Football League Division One
O'Donovan Rossa 0-11 St Gall's 0-11

NIALL Burns curled over in the dying seconds to secure a draw for St Gall's at Rossa on Wednesday evening.

This was an even enough affair with both sides enjoying their spells and in the end, a share of the spoils seemed about about right with the teams level on eight occasions.

It wasn't a thrilling contest with both sides forced to be patient when on the attack as both defended in numbers, but there were some good passages of play in a game played in greasy conditions.

Rossa were first on the board when Eoghan McMenamin let fly with a shot on the right, three minutes in, but St Gall's were back on terms when the lively Brendan Bradley moved in from the left to fist over.

Bradley would finish with six points, as did Rossa's Dominic McEnhill who fisted the first of his half-dozen scores with Bradley tying the affair with a free and the pair would trade points again, McEnhill's from play after Rossa forced a turnover to leave the sides locked at 0-3.

St Gall's would take their first lead of the night on 13 minutes when a free played into Bradley saw him turn and cut through on goal, but opted to fire high and from a similar build-up seconds later, Niall O'Neill doubled their advantage by the water break.

The second quarter yielded just two scores and both came for Rossa as Donal Armstrong pointed after a turnover and then McEnhill kicked the equaliser after claiming a mark.

Rossa would lose Eoghan McMenamin to a black card on 24 minutes, but St Gall's didn't make this numerical advantage count as the teams went in at the half tied at 0-5.

The hosts enjoyed a good start to the second period with frees from McEnhill and Colm Fleming putting them two ahead, but St Gall's began to get into a rhythm as they built well from the back with Sean Kelly marshalling the defence as a sweeper and one good move led to a Micky Pollock score.

Niall Burns then flashed a shot as goal outside the post and while McEnhill kicked a free at the other end, the visitors were putting some good phases together with Bradley playing Pollock in for his second and then substitute Kevin Niblock's first act was to thump over an excellent point to level just seconds after his introduction.

The nip-and-tuck theme continued to the end with a Bradley free nudging St Gall's ahead only for Cormac McGetting to leave it 0-9 apiece at the water break when kicking a great score from range.

Rossa retook the lead on 50 minutes when McEnhill forced a turnover in his own half with McGettigan bursting at pace before returning the ball to McEnhill who steadied and scored.

A Bradley free tied it again and two minutes from time, Rossa kicked what they hoped was the winner when McMenamin kicked a brilliant point after being superbly picked out by goalkeeper Michael Byrne, but there was still time and as the game ticked into stoppage time, St Gall's mounted one last charge and worked the ball to Burns who did well to split the posts from the right to ensure it finished honours even.

ROSSA: M Byrne; P Moyes, J Cooley, B McCauley; C McDonald, R Gowdy, M Mallon; C McGettigan (0-1), E McMenamin (0-2); SP Donnelly, C Fleming (0-1 free), A Devlin; D Armstrong (0-1), D McEnhill (0-6, 0-2 frees, 0-1 mark), P Shortt. Subs: R Currie for P Shortt (47), C McGowan for A Devlin (49).

ST GALL'S: N McCurdy; J Hopkins, C Brady, S O'Hagan; C Chada, F Donnelly, C Stinton; C O'Kane, A Gallagher; N Burns (0-1), T O'Neill, N O'Neill (0-1); M Pollock (0-2), B Bradley (0-6, 4 frees), S Kelly. Subs: T O'Ciarain for C O'Kane (HT), K Niblock (0-1) for C Chada (41), B McCaffrey for T O'Neill (47), M Cummings for M Pollock (58)

REFEREE: Brendan Toland (Lámh Dhearg)