Antrim Football League Division One
Gort na Móna 1-8 Naomh Éanna 1-12
NAOMH Éanna charged to victory today in a fast-paced game against Gort na Móna at Enright Park.
The game saw Naomh Éanna take the initial lead, only for Gort na Móna to take it back, before a goal from Conan Lyttle carrying the game and pushing Naomh Éanna into a lead which they maintained until the end of the game.The game began with an initial goal from Gort na Móna’s Padraig McHugh who chipped the ball between the posts.
A minute later, the Glengormley men equalised with a goal from Ruairi Scott followed by another a minute later by Gerard Crossey, putting Enda’s up to 0-2 to Gorts’ 0-1.
The next 10 minutes were phenomenal, with each team pulling out all stops, with St Enda’s scoring two points with decent kicks from Odhrán Eastwood and Donal Walsh which were immediately followed by two points from Gort na Móna with points from Darren Boyd and Padraig McHugh.
Naomh Éanna immediately rallied after this and pushed back to score two more points from, one from a kicker which was taken by Darren Boyd and another was a brilliantly accurate long effort from Fíonn Nagle, with the shot being taken from the middle of the pitch.
Brendan Corr for Gorts at 21 minutes took a kicker and scored, putting the scores up to Naomh Éanna 0-6 to 0-4 for the North Belfast men.
That same minute Enda’s showed their team’s skill at long range when Cormac Scott shot from range with great accuracy, with the ball just landing over the net between the posts.
With 24 minutes down, Glengormley man Kristian Healy took a brilliant run and shot the ball between the posts, putting them up to 0-8.
At 26 minutes Naomh Éanna appeared to be destined to score a goal in the back of the net, but Gorts keeper Michael O’Boyle proved a dab hand, brilliantly saving the shot from Fíonn Nagle, and when Enda’s man Odhrán Eastwood went for another shot off the rebound O’Boyle deflected the shot again, and it smashed off the post, but didn’t go in.
Just before the half-time whistle went Gort na Móna’s Patrick McCaffrey put the ball between the posts, putting scoreline up to Gort na Móna 0-5, St Enda’s 0-7.
Naomh Éanna break out from the back
The West Belfast lads started the second half in great form with a determined effort to close the gap on Naomh Éanna’s lead, and Cormac Morgan not only closed the gap, but overtook Enda’s when he shot the ball into the back of the net, putting the West Belfast outfit into the lead by a point, with the score now 1-5 to 0-7.
The Glengormley side fought back hard to regain the lead, and a goal between the posts from Cormac Morgan, followed by a brilliant goal from Conan Lyttle who beat the keeper to smash the ball into the back of the net once again put St Enda’s in the lead, with the scoreline now 1-8 to Gorts’ 1-5.
At 46 minutes play began to heat up, and as a result there were a series of fouls which resulted in Glengormley man Donal Walsh being awarded a yellow card. The kick earned from this foul allowed Gort’s Brendan Corr to score again between the posts.
Despite the yellow card, Donal Walsh showed no sign of slowing down play, and his determination earned the team another point, followed three minutes later with another point earned by Cormac Scott.
The scoreline was now 1-10 for Naomh Éanna and 1-6 for Gort na Móna, as play entered the final five minutes and a last-ditch effort was made by the West Belfast men to recoup.
The efforts to regain points were perhaps a bit too earnest from Gort na Móna’s Darren Boyd who received a black card and was sent off for a bad tackle on Cormac Morgan. However, Gorts did manage to gain another two points, earned by Patrick McCaffrey and Desy McClean respectively.
The final five minutes saw Naomh Éanna increase their lead yet again with points scored by Conon Lyttle and a final one by Odhrán Eastwood in the final minute, but Naomh Éanna were the victors.
NAOMH ÉANNA: M O’Boyle, C Thompson, N Heatley, C Maxwell, P Healy, C Lyttle (1-1), R O’Neill, P Curran, C Morgan (0-1), D Walsh (0-2), K Healy (0-1), R Scott (0-1), O Eastwood (0-3), G Crossey (0-1). SUBS: C McGrath, F Nagle (0-1)
GORT NA MÓNA: T McCaffrey, C Donnelly, T Keenan, M Savage, P Cournane, S Doyle, S Campbell, C Magee, B Corr (1-2), P McCaffrey (0-2), C Carson, P McHugh (0-2), A McDonagh, D Boyd (0-1), D McClean (0-1). SUBS: C Connolly, N Melaney, G McKenna
