Antrim champions St Gall's over came Mayobridge
by 0-12 to 2-5 in today's Ulster club football
Championship preliminary round tie played
in Newry.
Mayobridge started the better with county
star Ronan Sexton scoring after only 22 seconds.
A great pass by Michael Walsh to Benny Coulter,
and from Coulter to Sexton opened up the Antrim
sides defence, and Sexton fired the ball to
the back of the net. Over the next ten miniute
St Gall's had a number of changes to get back
into the game but fired a couple of wides.
It was not only the Antrim side which fired
wide as Mayobrdige had a change for a second
goal, but they also fired to the right of
the post. Mayobridge enjoyed the advantage
of the breeze in the first half and in the
opening ten to fifteen minutes seems to have
the advantage in a hard hitting physical encounter.
Over the last twenty minutes of the second
half St Gall's started to rule and fired over
six unanswered points. During this time Kevin
McGourty was fortunate to escape with just
a yellow card, after a fracas and then Karl
Stewart pointed for the Antrim champions.
Further points from CJ McGourty, Kevin Niblock,
CJ McGourty again, Terry O'Neill and Stewart
saw St Gall's take control before Noel Sexton
replied in the 26th minute to stop the rot.
Sean Kelly then got on the score sheet to
give his side a three-point advantage at half-time.
St Gall eventually led 0-07 to 1-01 at the
interval.
At the start of the second half Mayobridge
opened the scoring with a Noel Sexton point.
As in the first half Michael Walsh delivered
a pin point pass to Coulter, who scored the
Mayobridges second goal. Noel Sexton added
another point for the Bridge to edge the Down
side into a 2-03 to 0-07 led.
The Antrim side responded with Anto Healy
and Kevin Niblock being on target. Coulter
knocked over another point for the Bridge
to keep the Down side in front, however the
Belfast side responded with points from CJ
McGourty (2) and Brother Kevin to help the
Belfast side into a two point led. Noel Sexton
fired over a late point for Mayobridge to
put the minimum between the sides. In the
dying minutes Mayobridge were awarded a score
able free, which they dully fired wide, with
the referee signalling the end of the game
and the Antrim side’s progression into
the next round of the Ulster Championship.
