ACL Div 2 Round-Up: Gortin and Moy continue fine start

Gortin 0-12   Drumragh 0-10

GORTIN maintained their unbeaten start to the new league season as they held off new boys Drumragh to secure a two point win on Friday night.

Several missed opportunities proved the visitors downfall, while the return of the experienced Ruari Keenan was a massive boost for the hosts. Others to shine for Gortin were Pete Keenan and Peter Bradley, while the accuracy from the dead ball of Liam Og Mossey proved critical.

The Sarsfields worked hard. Gareth Haughey had a very good game, while Paddy Colgan and the Montgomerys also did well but their lack of a clinical edge was costly.

The sides were level on three occasions in the first half though by the break the hosts had eased two in front.

Mossey was first to register and a well worked point on the run from attacking half back Oran Brolly doubled their advantage. Tthey could have been ahead by more, Cathal McCullagh’s 45 went wide and Patrick McCullagh’s hopeful long ranger dropped short.

Drumragh showed plenty of early endeavour. Andy Colgan, Tommy Murphy and Aaron Montgomery carved out chances with points coming from Mal McManus and a well angled free from Niall McCarney levelling things eleven minutes in.

A close range free was tagged on by Pete Keenan before the visitors equalised through Ronan Maguire, finishing a good move.

A mammoth point from an acute angle by Eoin Montgomery then had Drumragh ahead for the first time.

Maguire combined with Montgomery for a fifth Sarsfields point as they played with some assurance. Ciaran Brolly held off defenders to tee up a raiding Cormac Bradley to cut the lead only for two well executed Montgomery frees, sandwiched between a Mossey dead ball, to leave Drumragh leading by two.

However Mossey then landed three frees and Ruari Keenan pointed to put Gortin ahead by two. Drumragh had a goal chance before the break. O’Neill collected a Colgan ball but a mixture of stoic defending and goalkeeper McCullagh kept the bobbling ball out.

Goal chances followed in a low scoring third quarter that produced just one Gortin point from Darie McSwiggan. The woodwork then denied Keenan and goalkeeper James Colgan bravely saved from Mossey but missed chances were to prove costly for Drumragh.

By the 46th minute four points separated the teams. Another free was sent over by Pete Keenan and he then teed up McCullagh for an excellent score heading into the final five minutes.

Drumragh though stormed back. The introduction of Ben Monk and Kane Murphy added some intensity and a well taken McCarney point from a free reduced the arrears. McCarney tagged on another free moments later and Drumragh stormed in waves at the Gortin rearguard.

In a tense climax McSwiggan was black carded. Montgomery delivered a free to close the gap to two but a goal did not materialise for Drumragh with the Keenans, Fiachra McNulty and Bradley keeping them out.

Beragh 0-12 Rock 0-15

ROCK trailed by two points at St.Marys Park on Friday evening but they produced a fine second half display to turn things around and get the better off Beragh.

Martin Rodgers weighed in with a trio of points for the Red Knights with Conor Owens and Oisin Donnelly adding a brace each o leave them 0-8 to 0-6 in front at the short whistle, Liam Nugent leading the charge for Rock with Aidan McGarrity also on target.

As he had done in the first half it was Ben McSorley who opened Beragh’s second half account but that proved to be their only effort from play, Owens converting three frees. Rock upped the tempo with Nugent taking his personal haul to 0-7 with McGarrity, Cormac O’Neill and Shea Daly all registering as well to give them a good win on the road.

Cookstown 1-10 Naomh Eoghan 0-11

AT the third time of asking newly promoted Cookstown collected their first points of the campaign when two late scores from Michael McElhatton saw them edge past Naomh Eoghan at Paddy Cullen Park.

It was a close contest throughout with the Father Rocks shading the opening period 0-7 to 0-6 thanks to points from Mathew Carberry, Niall McMurray and Luke Neeson, Eoin Devine and Conor Langan on target for the visitors.

Conal McConomy sent over the equaliser on the restart before Callan Kelly raised the only green flag of the night in the 34^th minute. Naomh Eoghan though lifted their game with points from Conor Traynor, Devine and Tiernan Mayse. Traynor then put them level from a “45” but they failed to score in the final quarter. McElhatton then put Cookstown in front from play before he sealed victory with a free.

Stewartstown 0-9 Fintona 1-13

LAST season’s Junior Championship winners Fintona made the trip to play Stewartstown on Friday night and the Pearses put in a fine display to deservedly take the spoils.

The visitors were out of the traps quickly with the opening three scores from Peter McGlynn, Jarad Brogan and Aaron McCarney and they never looked back. Gareth Devlin and Shea O’Neill had points for the Harps but three more from McCarney coupled with a Cathal Starrs brace saw Fintona establish a 0-8 to 0-4 lead.

O’Neill and Devlin swapped points with McCarney and Oran Hughes in the third quarter before the crucial score of the contest arrived in the 51^st minute. A great run from Brogan saw him offload for Hughes to palm home from close range and there was no way back for Stewartstown.

Moy 2-15 Kildress 1-10

MOY are a side who are showing good early season form and that continued at home at the weekend when they picked up a third straight win to end Kildress’s unbeaten start to their campaign.

Ryan Coleman and Michael Conroy were again very much to the fore in the scoring stakes for the home side with each bagging first half goals. The Wolfe Tones though stayed in touch with points from Caolan McNamee and Shea Quinn with the latter also getting a goal to leave it 2-5 to 1-5 at the break.

Moy though put their foot on the gas in the second period to land another ten points. Conroy and Coleman finished with an impressive 2-10 between them with Patrick McGeary, Eoin McGeary and Conor Mackle others on target and despite Kildress scores from Quinn and Shea Tracey they were second best on the night.

Moortown 1-9 Owen Roes 1-8

A STRONG third quarter saw Moortown come from behind to collect the two points on offer when they had the minimum to spare over Owen Roes at the Loughshore.

Stephen Harper, Daire McGonigle, Ryan McShane and Gerard McShane were the first half marksmen for an Owen Roes side who greeted the short whistle 0-6 to 0-4 in front, Shea Lawn and Ryan Kelly with points for the Malachys.

The twin threat of Lawn and Kelly were very much to the fore as Moortown enjoyed a purple patch to go five in front with the former getting their goal. Owen Roes now had it all to do and while Ryan McShane pointed and midfielder Tony Devine grabbed a late goal it came too late in the day to save them.

Derrylaughan 1-13 Aghyaran 1-9

AGHYARAN’S perfect start to the season came to an end on Friday night when they returned home from their long journey empty handed as the Kevin Barrys made it back to back wins.

A first half goal from the boot of James Donnelly separated the two sides at the turnaround, Tomas Carney, Stephen McGrath and the McHughs Ronan and Eoghan among the points for their respective sides.

Ronan McHugh converted a second half penalty on his way tyo a personal haul of 1-5 but it wasn’t enough for the visitors. Donnelly tagged on a few points while Carney finished with half a dozen to his name on a night when Joe Donnelly and the experienced Ciaran Gervin finished on the scoresheet for the Kevin Barrys as well.

Clogher 1-9 Greencastle 1-11

GREENCASTLE had to pull out all the stops at St.Patricks Park to make it two wins from two against a battling Clogher side who played right to the final whistle.

It was the Eire Ogs who were the better side in the first half and that was reflected on the scoreboard as three points from Ciaran Bogue coupled with one apiece from Ryan and Michael McCaughey saw them lead 0-5 to 0-3.

In the second half Greencastle came into then game with the experienced Cahir McCullagh to the fore. He scored a crucial goal as well as supplying four points while Mark Carson got a few scores as well as they turned things around. Ryan McCaughey and Mark Bogue swapped points with McCullagh and Dan McCrory but despite Ciaran Bogue finding the net for the home side late on their efforts came up just short.