ACL Div2 round-up: Naomh Eoghan edge up the table

ACL DIVISION TWO ROUND-UP

Naomh Eoghan 0-13 Drumragh 2-5

BACK-to-back victories in the space of just three days has propelled Naomh Eoghan into the relative comfort of mid-table. In midweek, a last-gasp goal by Piaras McSorley earned Sean Murtagh’s side a precious 1-17 to 2-13 win at Beragh and on Friday evening the north Tyrone men followed that up with a hard fought 0-13 to 2-05 victory over basement side Drumragh at Newtownstewart.

Again, Naomh Eoghan left it rather late to secure their third victory of the season with Eoin Devine converting a free kick to ultimately kill off the visiting challenge.

All-in-all, it’s been a hugely encouraging week for the side, who courtesy of this victory have leapfrogged Clogher, Owen Roes and Fintona into 11th place in the Division Two rankings.

As for recently-promoted Drumragh they continue to find points hard to come by. Colm Bradley’s team remain firmly rooted to the foot of the table after just one victory thus far. That was a 0-09 to 1-05 win over Cookstown at the end of May but since then the Sarsfields have found it tough going in the intermediate ranks.

On Friday evening the home side were first out of the blocks with two points from Eoin Devine, either side of a quality score from Tiarnan Mayse, putting Naomh Eoghan in the driving seat.

However that early advantage was wiped out in the blink of an eye when Tommy Murphy’s incisive pass sent Daniel O’Neill through for a superbly-crafted goal.

The teams exchanges points – all from open play – for the remainder of the half with Conal McConomy, Eoin Devine and Conor Traynor on target for Naomh Eoghan while Daniel O’Neill and Malachy McManus responded for the visitors.

The second period followed a similar pattern. Early points by Tiarnan Mayse and the experienced Benny Boyle again had the homesters ahead but a goal by half forward Ronan Maguire thrust Drumragh right back into contention.

With the outcome firmly back in the melting point, Naomh Eoghan duly responded with Tiaran Mayse, Benny Boyle and Conor Traynor – with two 45s – all registering points to put their team four in front and within touching distance of victory.

Drumragh though weren’t quite done and two frees by Niall McCarney, falling a foul on Ben Monk, and Eoin Montgomery kept them in the hunt before Daniel O’Neill scored from play to leave the minimum between the sides going down the home stretch.

The visitors desperately pushed forward in search of an equaliser but in the final act their opponents countered quickly to win a free kick and Eoin Devine duly converted to bank the points.

Aghyaran 2-15 Cookstown 1-15

THESE two sides may be at opposite ends of the Intermediate league table but in this encounter Cookstown gave as good as they got before coming up short on their trip to Aghyaran.

Ronan McLaughlin, Ronan McHugh and Benny Gallen had early points for the St.Davogs with Matthew Carberry and Niall McMurray responding for the Father Rocks. Going into the last ten minutes of the half both Paddy McNulty and McHugh got Aghyaran goals but the final score of the half was a Carberry major to close the gap to four.

Cookstown had the better of things in the opening twenty minutes of the second half cutting the deficit with points from Carberry, McMurray and Michal McElhatton. The hosts though ensured that they kept their noses in front with points from McLaughlin, McHugh and Gallen.

Fintona 0-6 Gortin 4-13

INTERMEDIATE league leaders Gortin produced a superb display of attacking football as they ruthlessly swept aside the challenge of Fintona on Friday evening.

It was a contest that the visitors dominated from the first whistle and they were well on their way to victory by halftime having established a 2-6 to 0-3 advantage. Liam Og Mossey was in sparking form hitting 1-5 in that opening period with Sean Og McAleer bagging their other major, Aaron McCarney (2) and Aiden Donnelly the Fintona scorers.

There was no let up from Gortin on the restart with Mosse adding another 1-4 to his personal haul with Ciaran Brolly their other goal scorer. The Pearses failed to score from play throughout the second half with McCarney and Cathal Gillespie scoring from placed balls and Niall Donnelly registering a mark.

Owen Roes 1-12 Greencastle 2-11

TWO second half goals proved to be the vital scores for Greencastle as they secured a hard earned win away to a battling Owen Roes side at the weekend.

Cathal McShane scored a early goal for Owen Roes and added a couple of points with Conor O’Neill also on target but it was level pegging at halftime thanks to Greencastle scores from Sean Warnock, Cahir McCullagh and Enda Clarke.

Ten minutes into the second half McCullagh got the visitors first goal and Chrissy Gillen raised a second green flag in the final quarter. In between those scores there were points from Conall McCormack, Ryan McShane, Enda McKenna and Miceal McCann but those two goals proved to be pivotal in determining the end result.

Clogher 1-6 Moy 2-10

MOY remain in title contention in second place in the table after they laid the foundations for victory in the first half at St.Patricks Park against Clogher.

Ryan McCaughey had a brace of points for the Eire Ogs but that was all they had to show on the scoreboard in the opening period. With Ryan Coleman and Michael Conroy in fine form Moy established a 1-6 to 0-2 lead with the latter getting the goal.

Clogher matched their opponents scoring in the second half but the damage had been done with Fergal McKenna’s goal late in the day proving to be a consolation. Coleman got his side’s second goal on a day when he and Conroy accounted for all but one of their side’s tally, former Tyrone star Sean Cavanagh their other marksman.

Kildress 0-15 Rock 2-11

AS expected this local derby at Gortacladdy was keenly contested from start to finish with Rock coming from behind in the second half to pip the Wolfe Tones.

A Thomas Mackle goal was the score that separated the two sides at the break 1-8 to 0-8. Shea Murphy and Shea Quinn led the way in the scoring stakes for Kildress with Conor McGarrity and Shane Murphy replying for the visitors.

In the second half Murphy and Quinn took their combined tally to 0-11 for the home side with Pauric Lagan on target as well as they turned things around to lead by two. Crucially though Shea Daly got a second Rock goal at that stage and that proved decisive on a night when Aidan McGarrity and Diarmaid Carroll also featured on the scoresheet for them.

Stewartstown 1-12 Moortown 1-10

MOORTOWN went into this game in Stewartstown as favourites but the Harps didn’t read the script as they came from behind at halftime to collect two vital league points.

Dan Lowe, Gerard O’Neill, Shea Burke, Paul Quinn and Shea Lawn were among the first half points for their respective sides before a late Brian McLernon goal gave the Loughshore men a slender 1-4 to 0-5 advantage.

Macaulay Quinn and Lowe added to Stewartstown’s tally on the resumption with Lawn and McLernon replying for Moortown before Lowe grabbed a crucial goal. Liam Lawn pointed for Moortown but the momentum was now with Stewartstown and they secured a crucial win with the help of points from Gareth Devlin, O’Neill and Lowe.

Derrylaughan 1-10 Beragh 1-10

CONOR Owens held his nerve to convert a 58^th minute free to earn Beragh a deserved share off the spoils from their trip to the Loughshore against Derrylaughan.

It was Owens who also gave the Red Knights the perfect start to the contest with a 2^nd minute goal. Derrylaughan replied with a goal of their own from Ciaran Gervin with Tomas Carney among their points before late efforts from Mattie McSorley and Seamus Grant left it all square, 1-5 apiece.

The second half proved just as close with nothing between the two sides, Carney took his personal haul to half a dozen with Caolan and Conor Hughes both on target as well but efforts from Oisin Donnelly and Martin Rodgers kept Beragh in the hunt until that late Owens equaliser.