O'Neills Sportswear Antrim Football League Division One
St John's 1-13 St Gall's 4-9
GOALS proved the winning currency for St Gall's at a wet and windy Corrigan Park on Wednesday as they managed to keep their noses in front against St John's to maintain their perfect start to the season.
The Milltown Row men hit two early majors, which were the difference at the half and although St John's - battling for their first points of the campaign - remained in the hunt throughout the second period, further goals at key times proved crucial on a night when the county players returned for their clubs.
St Gall's kicked a pair of wides and left one drop into Eoghan Rua Lambert's hands before they made an attack count and in fine style as from a turnover, Callum Walsh broke at pace, swapped passes with Barra McCaffrey and finished low to the net with five minutes gone. The Johnnies could have hit back in kind immediately, but Niall McCurdy smothered Conor Hand's effort.
A second goal would come four minutes later for St Gall's and from a quick move through the hands, Ruairi Wilson put through Danirl Quinn, whose pop inside to Barra McCaffrey left the corner-forward with an open net to finish into.
Walsh kicked a score before Odhran Quinn got the hosts off the mark, only for McCaffrey to cancel this out.
St Gall's were more on the front foot with their kick passing helping open gaps, but the shooting was letting them down and especially when taking on two-point efforts as the crossfield wind was taking those shots out to the left.
Brendan Bradley and Paddy McBride swapped scores before Niall Burns curled just inside to push the gap to eight, but St Gall's really ought to have been further ahead but for missed chances.
St John's narrowed the gap by the break with Quinn kicking a free and Conal McGlade thumping over and with the last act of the first half, the latter almost saw the net bulge when his shot took a deflection and seemed to be dipping in only for a brilluant, acrobatic save from McCurdy to push it onto the bar to keep his team 2-4 to 0-4 ahead.
McCurdy was called into action again, early in the second period as Ryan McNulty let fly, but St Gall's were first to register from a Niall Burns free.
McGlade and Quinn pulled a couple back before Daniel Quinn kicked the first of his three second-half points at the other end.
The Johnnies were still in it and were back to within four as they were awarded a free for a 3v3 offence, opting to take it outside the arc with McBride's eye for two-pointers continuing from the weekend's Ulster Championship game as he slung over.
But St Gall's hit back, first through Quinn and then their third goal in the 47th minute as McCaffrey turned provider to square for Niall O'Neill, who rose to palm home and push the gap to eight.
St John's were not done and either side of points from Conor Adams and McBride, Conor Hand slung over a two-pointer to get them right into contention once more and in this phase, McCurdy again had to produce a save as Odhran Quinn's half-blocked effort seemed to be heading for the corner.
However, five minutes from time, they were hit with a fourth goal as Eoghan McCabe burst through, knocked the ball into the path of McCaffrey, who passed inside for Brendan Bradley to steady and finish.
The Johnnies pulled this back three minutes later from a well-taken Conor McEvoy penalty that was awarded when John McCaffrey impeded Hand inside the area, but time was against the hosts with Quinn thumping over the insurance score.
ST JOHN'S: ER Lambert; R Hannigan, J Bohill, E McGurk; C McEvoy (1-0 pen), R Quinn, S Wilson; C Hand (0-3, 1xtp), R McNulty; P McBride (0-4, 1xtpf), D McGuinness, S Tierney; C Quinn, O Quinn (0-3, 1f), C McGlade (0-2).
Subs: P Nugent for C Quinn (26), C Adams (0-1) for D McGuinness (42), R Donnelly for O Quinn (53), A Bradley for S Tierney (58)
ST GALL'S: N McCurdy; J McCaffrey, C Mac Adhaimh, E McCurdy; R Wilson, D Mac Liam, C McCabe; C Stinton, C Burke; N Burns (0-2, 1f), B Bradley (1-1), C Walsh (1-1); B McCaffrey (1-1), N O'Neill (1-1), D Quinn (0-3).
Subs: E McCabe for C Burke (HT), L Lynn for C McCabe (36)
REFEREE: Ray Matthews (Rossa)
Wednesday's results
O'Neills Sportswear Antrim Football League Division One
Glenravel 2-14 O'Donovan Rossa 1-15
Lámh Dhearg 2-18 St Paul's 0-5
St John's 1-13 St Gall's 4-9
Creggan 1-14 St Brigid's 1-10
Tír na nÓg 1-10 All Saints, Ballymena 2-19
Cargin 4-24 Aldergrove 0-6
Aghagallon 2-15 Ahoghill 0-8
Portglenone 0-16 Dunloy 0-4
O'Neills Sportswear Antrim Football League Division Two
Moneyglass 8-10 Rasharkin 1-7
Naomh Éanna 1-16 St Comgall's 0-8
Sarsfield's 2-18 St Teresa's 1-10
St Patrick's, Lisburn 2-12 Glenavy 0-9
Davitt's 0-16 Gort na Móna 3-12
O'Neills Sportswear Antrim Football League Division Three
Éire Óg 1-12 Wolfe Tones 4-7
O'Donnell's 0-12 Laochra Loch Lao 1-18
St Agnes' 1-18 St Malachy's 2-4
Pearse's 1-11 Ardoyne 0-12
