Glenn began their Division Three programme with a fine victory over St John’s. Tony Bagnall’s newly promoted side however, didn’t set the place on fire in the opening quarter; indeed they didn’t score at all in that period. Meanwhile the Saints hammered over the first couple of points.

Still on 17 minutes, Glenn, with the roving Father Frank Diamond a tower of strength, finally got their act together. David Bagnall set up Ollie Conlon who fired the ball into the back of the St John’s net and also he fired the yellow and blacks into a one-point lead.

And Glenn could have netted again shortly after but the home keeper Darren McMullan denied Davy Bagnall with a breath-taking save. Though the Saints’ joy was short-lived as the same Bagnall quickly pointed twice more with Mark Lennon and John Mackin adding two others without reply.

And approaching the break Conlon soloed through before knocking over the bar with Lennon adding to the Glenn scoreline with another point from a free, thus leaving the interval score 1-06 to 0-03. Though immediately after half-time the Saints pointed twice in a row. But Glenn replied with a killer goal on four minutes, Lennon and Bagnall combining with Derek McConville tapping home the latter’s high ball. And when John Mackin added another point it was all over bar the shouting.

Lennon and Bagnall, a couple from Seamus McGuinness and a late Peter Farrelly effort completed the Glenn tally. And indeed after McConville and McGuinness carved out the opportunity, Davy Bagnall was unlucky not to net, his fierce drive rebounding off the Saints’ woodwork.

In retrospect it was a quality win for the John Martin Club and that despite playing without three or four top men.

Taken from Newry Reporter