Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship Group Two
O'Donovan Rossa 3-11 Tír na nÓg 1-5

ROSSA'S challenge in the Senior Football Championship is back on tack as they claimed a vital win over Tír na nÓg on home turf with a bit to spare on Saturday.

Goals were key to set the city side on their way and all arrived at key times, but the visitors will have felt all were preventable as their own attack had a poor day with 13 wides kicked over the hour.

Darragh Fegan raced away from the throw-in to kick Tír na nÓg into the lead, but it was far from a sign of things to come in the opening period as they seemed content to sit back and then break.

Chances were created, but six wides in the opening period was not the return they would have hoped for, yet they were limiting Rossa from creating a lot as the hosts finally drew level with. Mick Byrne free five minutes in and edged ahead through Cormac McGettigan.

Midway through the opening period, Rossa hit the net and it came from a stray pass that Dominic McEnhill intercepted around 55 metres from goal. He had plenty still to do, but  in front to race clear and finish.

A Thomas Morgan point followed, but the visitors finally ended a barren 19 minutes as they engineered an opening for Barry McCormick to finish low to the net.

Josh Higgins would have a rather tame effort on goal easily stopped by Richard Gowdy - who initially came in as a temporary replacement for Gerard Walsh but was made permanent as Rossa lost Eoghan McMenamin to injury.

The sides would swap late scores through Morgan and Caoimhin Duffin as Rossa led 1-4 to 1-2 at the end of the opening half.

It was the visitors to go through the phases early in the second period as they passed and probed, but coughed up possession with Gerard Walsh thumping long to McEnhill who had the pace to get out in front of Brendan McLarnon, turn in on goal and slot to the net for his second major.

He would kick a point straight after and on 40 minutes, the third goal came which was a gift for Stephen Beatty as Sean Paul McAtamney's stray kick-out went to Beatty who had the goal gaping as he precisely returned it to the net from a out on the left.

Given the pattern of the game, this was pretty much out of sight as Josh Higgins finally got Tír na nÓg's opening score of the second period with 43 played, but McEnhill replied immediately.

McGettigan, Beatty and substitute Corey Walsh also kicked scores with two from Aaron McNeill all the visitors could muster as Rossa rounded off with another two from McEnhill to seal a good win that leaves them in the mix for a quarter-final heading into their final game against St John's.

ROSSA: M Byrne; P Moyes, G Walsh, C Orchin; A Devlin, C McGettigan (0-2), N Crossan; E McMenamin, O McVicker; R Grant, T Morgan (0-2), C McDonald; D Rogan, D McEnhill (2-4, 0-1f), S Beatty (1-1).
Subs: R Gowdy for G Walsh (temporary 25-30+2), R Gowdy for E McMenamin (30+2), C Walsh (0-1) for D Rogan (43), R Murray for R Grant (51), C Fleming for S Beatty (55), M McEnhill for G Walsh (55).

TÍR NA nÓG: SP McAtamney; B McLarnon, C McGrellis, R Crilly; P McCloskey, B McCormick (1-0), C Duffin (0-1); D Fegan (0-1, J Higgins (0-1); C Sheerin, C O'Neill, E Murray; A McNeilly (0-2, 1f), A Tolan, D Martin.
Subs: C Og McAllister for C Sheerin (17), O McAtamney for E Murray (48), S Duffin for D Martin (48), S McKeown for C Duffin (50).

REFEREE: Paddy Tumelty (Lámh Dhearg)