Match Report

Seniors just miss out at the death

Date Filed: 06 June 2008


Senior Football League
St John’s Vs Aghaderg
 
Aghaderg started the second round of league matches with an away game against St. Johns. The match was played in ideal conditions last Friday before a large crowd. This match was crucial for both teams in terms of determining who would probably win the league even though each team have nine more matches to play. Therefore a tough encounter was expected and that was exactly what the spectators got.
 
St Johns were the first to settle and they registered an early point from play. Aghaderg responded with a pointed free from Kevin Anderson. St Johns then scored a goal following a free which was awarded on the 45 metre line. Quick thinking from the free taker meant that the ball was transferred to the St John’s corner forward before the Aghaderg defence had time to regroup. He duly dispatched the ball to the net. Rory Simpson then pointed from play before St John’s restored their advantage with a free which was needlessly conceded on the 14 metre line. After this Aghaderg hit a purple patch and scored three unanswered points from Rory Simpson, Kevin Anderson and Cathal McGrath. St Johns then halted this little run with a point from a free in front of the Aghaderg goal. Rory Simpson narrowed the gap but St John’s scored the final point of the first half to leave one point in it at the break.
 
HALF-TIME:  St Johns 1 – 4 Aghaderg 0 – 6.
 
The half time team talk brought instant reward as Aghaderg were the quickest to settle in the second half and had soon cancelled out the home side’s lead with a Kevin Anderson point. St Johns were able to regain the lead again with a close in free before Aghaderg stormed into the lead with a goal from Eugene Devlin followed by another Kevin Anderson point. This should have been the spur that Aghaderg needed but St Johns seemed to respond more positively. They scored the next five scores of the game with one of these being a disputed penalty. An Aghaderg defender fisted the ball away from the St Johns attacker who fell to the ground after the challenge. However the referee saw this as a foul and awarded a penalty. Mark McGrath made a valiant effort to save the penalty. This was the daylight that St Johns needed and a point followed shortly which opened a four point lead. Aghaderg did get the final score of the game from a Kevin Anderson point but the gap was just too wide to close in the remaining few minutes of the game.
FULL-TIME:  St Johns 2 – 10 Aghaderg 1 – 10