St James’ triumph to secure Cup quarter final place

ST JAMES’ ALDERGROVE (2-08) GLENRAVEL (1-09)

ALDERGROVE avoided a potential early season banana skin to emerge with a narrow victory over a spirited Glenravel side to progress to a quarter final tie with Moneyglass in the O’Cahan Cup.

In a classic game of two halves, Aldergrove looked a division above their opponents before the interval seemingly scoring at will to end the half with a seemingly unassailable 8-point lead. It was all change after the break when the visitors seized the initiative as Aldergrove’s apparent complacency which seemed to creep in as the first half progressed, almost cost them the tie.

Aldergrove raced into a 4-point lead with a converted free from Fearghal Burke being added to with an unstoppable strike to the net by Brian McQuillan. Glenravel registered their first score with a point from play with seven minutes elapsed but the home side responded within a minute with a point also from play by Gerard Mallon.

A long-range point from Brian McQuillan on 13 minutes was sandwiched by a brace for the visitors on 11 and 15 minutes to leave a goal separating the sides as the first quarter ended. McQuillan’s departure through injury didn’t stem Aldergrove’s dominance and a scoring spree with a 1-3, a James Henry goal being added to by three points from Fearghal Burke seemed to put the home side into a premature cruise control as their lead was extended to 9 points as the half approached its conclusion. A somewhat outclassed Glenravel refused to be bowed and rallied to score the final point before the interval to go in 8 adrift.

H/T Score: St James’ Aldergrove (2-06) V Glenravel (0-04)

It’s been often said that you win nothing in the first-half of any game. Glenravel approached the second half in a determined fashion, winning more than their share of 50:50 balls and getting a foothold in the middle-third which gave them a springboard to launch a second-half come-back. Given their impressive first-half display, the Aldergrove challenge after the break was at best mediocre. The visitor’s urgency was rewarded with 5 unanswered points before St James’ realised they were in serious danger of losing the match registering their first score in 26 minutes as the game entered its crucial last 10. This score from play by Fearghal Burke was quickly added to by the same player after 24 minutes of the half to put 5 points between the sides. In a frenetic last 5-minutes the visitors sensed the game was still all to play for and but for some last ditch defending and some game-saving quality saves from Aldergrove goal keeper Shane O’Neill, Aldergrove may have indeed suffered an embarrassing reversal. Try as they might the Glensmen couldn’t breach the Aldergrove rear-guard until practically the last kick of the game deep into added time when a scrambled finish to the Aldergrove net left 2-points between the sides but proved a mere consolation.

F/T Score: St James Aldergrove (2-08) V Glenravel (1-09).

Aldergrove Starting Team: 1. Shane O’Neill, 2. Paul Cushley (Peter McKenna), 3. Stephen Gorman, 4. Chris McVeigh, 5. Ferdia Carson, 6. Chris O’Kane, 7.Andy Flood, 8. Conleth Hendron, 9. Ryan Maguire (Matt Jardine), 10. Gerard Mallon, 11. Fearghal Burke, 12. Brian McQuillan, 13. James Henry, 14. Gerard McQuillan (Seamus McGarry), 15. Chris McSteen.

Aldergrove Scorers: Brian McQuillan (1-1), Fearghal Burke (0-6,4 free2), James Henry (1-0), Gerard Mallon (0-1).

Best for Aldergrove: Shane O’Neill, Chris McVeigh, Stephen Gorman, Paul Cushley, Chris O’Kane, Fearghal Burke.

Results from the South West Antrim Thornton Roofing O’Cahan Cup, 1st Round were as follows:

Aghagallon 0-08 3-09 Ahoghill

Portglenone 4-11 0-07 Dunloy

St James’ 2-08 1-09 Glenravel

Glenavy conceded against St Enda’s

Cargin 1-17 0-08 Ballymena

Rasharkin 1-15 2-07 Tir na Nog.