Fixtures & Results 2012 - ACFL Div 1

St.Mary’s Rasharkin start with defeat at Shaws Road

Rasharkin’s senior footballers travelled to Shaw’s Road Belfast on Sunday past to begin their league campaign 2012, and take on newly promoted West Belfast side St.Paul’s. These sides haven’t faced each other since 2009 as both clubs completed a season in Division Two, St.Mary’s gaining promotion to top flight in 2010 and St.Paul’s more recently, strolled through the second division unbeaten last year. Former County Star Sean McGreevy takes the reins this season as St.Paul’s manager; he gives himself the nod as number one in the last as line of defence. St.Mary’s have also fresh faces in management in the form of Dominic Kelly and Frank Hasson, both management teams are all too aware of the importance of early league points in the season and both would be striving for all on offer.

St.Galls clubman Davy McGrath was on the whistle for this fixture. Rasharkin skipper Paul Doherty having won the toss elected to play with the advantage of the elements in the first period playing downhill towards "the Bear Pit”. The match was two minutes old when St.Paul’s corner forward Conor McCartan won a free and Mickey Joe Cooper obliged from the spot to give the home side an early lead. Eamon McNeill settled Rasharkin nerves three minutes later when he clipped over a forty five yard free an open their account. The vistors nudged themselves into the lead a minute later when Benny Hasson collected a pass from Brendan Etherson and fist over the bar.

St.Mary’s Eamon McNeill put further daylight between the sides after eight minutes when he again punished St.Paul’s indiscipline from the set piece. This Rasharkin dominance was short lived when St.Paul’s corner man Aaron Traynor spilt the posts twice in two minutes midway through the half to tie the fixture. Midfielder James Ferrin capped off a penetrating run with a superb point for the home side after twenty before Traynor completed a hat trick of points and give the home side a two point cushion going into half time. St.Mary’s Eamon McNeill and St.Paul’s Padraig Lowe traded points as match referee blew the short whistle. 

Rasharkin manager Dominic Kelly’s rallying half time pep talk had instance effect, when Johnny McAleese reduced St.Paul’s grip on the game to the minimum inside the first two minutes of the second half. However back came St.Paul’s through Traynor, he slotted two further points to restore St.Paul’s three point lead. Mickey Joe Cooper open up a four point gap midway through the half, as the points looked to be heading to Shaws Road.

Rasharkin’s strongest line was their mid field pairing of Paul Doherty and Brendan Etherson; they collected possession once more to set up Eamon McNeill who left a goal between the sides. Man of the match, St.Paul’s Aaron Traynor took his return to six points with five minutes left on the clock. St.Mary’s now elected to go route one at Sean McGreevy’s goal in a last ditch effort to salvage a point from the tie, St.Paul’s defence, however, held strong in the closing stages as Rasharkin could only manage a converted Eamon McNeill free to take his tally to five points.

Davy McGrath’s full time whistle was greeted by a very relieved home cheer as St.Paul’s claimed both points on a final score 0-10 to 0-7.

St.Mary’s Rasharkin: Donal McLernon, Thomas Doherty, , Sean Hasson, Dominic McFerran, Peader McMullan, Cahir O’Kane, Paddy Hasson, Paul Doherty (Capt) and Brendan Etherson, Eamon McNeill (0-5), Cathal Mooney, Eamon O’Boyle, Johnny McAleese (0-1), Benny Hasson (0-1) and Declan McKay.

St.Paul’s Belfast: Sean McGreevy, Fintin Gamble, Sean Bradley, Declan Gamble, Damien Duffy, Donald Burns (Capt), James McGreevy, Paul Barr, James Ferrin (0-1), Padraig Lowe (0-1), Mickey Joe Cooper (0-2), Joe Duffy, Conor McCartan, Barry Burns and Aaron Traynor (0-6)

Referee: Davy McGrath (St.Galls)