Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship, Group One
Tír na nÓg 1-7 Rossa 0-10
Thomas Morgan rescued a draw for Rossa at Tír na nÓg on Friday evening that would ultimately seal second place and a quarter-final meeting with St Brigid's, but the hosts will look back at one that got away.
As the game moved into injury time Eamon Og McAllister produced a great run from out on the left, into the heart of the Rossa defence where he was un-ceremoniously brought down and referee, Sean Laverty pointed to the penalty spot.
Tír na nÓg held a slender one point lead at this stage of the game and with the home crowd roaring their approval Darragh Fagan stepped up to take the penalty but his well struck shot cannoned off an upright with Mick Byrne beaten and was cleared to safety.
Play swung to the other end and with virtually the last kick of the ball Thomas Morgan fired over the equaliser to earn his side a draw and win them a place in the quarter-finals with group winners.
The opening half was a slow burner with Tír na nÓg sitting deep in an effort to contain the Rossa attack and danger man Dominic McEnhill coming in for some close attention every time he received the ball.
Thomas Morgan opened the scoring, as he finished it in the end, with a point for Rossa in the sixth minute and at the other end Tír na nÓg had a promising attack thwarted at the expense of a ‘45’ that came to nothing.
Richard Gowdy in possession 
Both sides were playing a possession game and a Mick Byrne free for Rossa came back of a post before Sean Duffin levelled the contest with Tír na nÓg’s first point of the game in the 14th minute.
Two minutes later the home side struck a telling blow when Darragh Fagan beat Chris McGuinness in a race for a long ball over the top from deep in defence and side footed home from close range.
Rossa recovered and slowly their pressure began to pay dividends as Stephen Beatty punished a couple of fouls on the lively McEnhill and added another from play to leave the sides level, 1-1 to 0-4 at the break.
With the breeze behind them Rossa were expected to push on after the break but it was Tír na nÓg who emerged from the dressing room a more focused side and Emmet Murray pointed them into the lead after 30 seconds.
Dominic McEnhill and Mick Byrne pointed frees to edge the visitors ahead before Darragh Fagan replied for the Whitehill side to tie matters once more but points from Diarmuid Rogan and Thomas Morgan had the Shaw’s Road side two in front by the fifth minute.
Things were certainly livening up after a drab opening half and Eamon Og McAllister received a black card after dragging down Matthew Mallon with Gerard Walsh shown yellow as matters got a bit heated in the aftermath.
When the dust settled Darragh Fagan pointed from a free and a fisted point fromFagan and a converted free from Aaron McNeilly had the home side in a strong position with seven minutes remaining.
Rossa had a couple of opportunities for points in the minutes that followed but went looking for goals with Sean Paul McAtamney pulling off a good save to deny Stephen Beatty.
Mick Byrne closed the gap to the minimum from a free in the 29th minute but the returning Eamon Og McAllister produced a defence splitting run before being pulled down at the expense of a penalty.
Fagan spot kick rebounded of an upright to safety and Morgan responded with a later equaliser as the news filtered through from Toome that the Johnnies had been heavily defeated and it is Rossa who finish in second place in the group.
TÍR NA nÓG: Sean Paul McAtamney; Ryan Crilly, Ciaran McGrellis, Brandon McLarnon; Ciaran O’Neill, Barry McCormick, Aaron McNeilly; Sean Duffin, Oliver McAtamney; Paul McCloskey, Aodhan Tolan, Caoimhin Duffin; Emmet Murray, Darragh Fagan, Eamon Og McAllister.
Subs: Kevin Sheerin, Christy Sheerin
ROSSA: Mick Byrne; Niall Crossa, Chris McGuinness, Ciaran Orchin; Jack Morris, Adam Devlin, Richard Gowdy; Gerard Walsh, Stephen Beatty; Diarmaid Rogan, Cormac McGettigan, Dominic McEnhill; Matthew Mallon, Eoghan McMenamin, Thomas Morgan. Subs: Patrick Moyes, Darren Grego, Rory Grant
REFEREE: Sean Laverty (Moneyglass)
