Saul GAC took on Rostrevor and scored three goals
Down GAA ACFL Division 2,
Venue, St Patrick’s Park, on 26th April 2024,
Final Score: Saul 3-09 0-14 Rostrevor.
In a cool evening basking in the early summer sun, Rostrevor took the opening point at St Patrick’s Park from a free when James Rice was taken down close to the Saul goal but Saul bounced back with a point to level the match again writes Jim Masson.
Saul stepped up the pace and broke forward and Ciaran Harney took a point in play. The home side started to pile on the pressure with a number of fast attacks and won a free on the 16-yard line. Ronan Connor had been taken down and Harney scored again from the free.
But Rostrevor pride was starting to hurt and they fought back strongly but Saul’s Callum Mahoney moved the ball well forward out of danger and Saul eventually won a free on the 45 line and keeper Cathail Arnold kicked it over the Rostrevor posts.
Saul were containing Rostrevor well and then teased the ball passing round the defensive wall and then on 10 minutes sharpshooter Connor kicked over for another point.
Saul had got off to a strong start attacking sharply but it was Rostrevor’s Shaunn Parr who scored the next point. Rostrevor tried to muster an attack but Saul broke it before it got too deep into their half.
They took another point off Rostrevor on 14 minutes and kept pushing and minutes later keeper Arnold took another free and just went inches.
A long pass to Saul’s John Mahoney positioned on the 16-yard line saw him take a few steps and volley low past Rostrevor keeper Garth Clarke for a goal. Saul had now a strong grip on the game.
Midfielder Gary Murdock playing well in midfield hit a long ball to the Rostrevor goal mouth but it fell short.
Rostrevor’s Pat Magee made a great intervention as Saul pushed forward as the ball was heading to Connor for what would have been a certain goal making a comeback all the more difficult for the visitors.
But Saul ground away at Rostrevor and Ciaran Harney took another point in play followed by a point from Philip Doran. Rostrevor were showing their resilience and clawed back a point from Aughal Johnston.
Saul were on a roll and Ryan Connolly made a mark on the right and played the ball quickly – this led to a long low snap kick from Gary Murdock from on the half way line and the ball struck the inside of the Rostrevor goalpost to bounce in for a goal beating keeper Clarke.
The goal on 28 minutes caused a roar from the Saul supporters just as the whistle was blowing for half-time with Saul leading 2-07 to 0-4.
James Mahoney ploughed forward and his kick went wide then Murdock kicked again on target and this time Garth Clarke managed to hold his effort at the nets.
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There was a series of wides from both sides then eventually James Mahoney pointed followed by another from Rory Mullen.
Rostrevor fell away a bit at this stage of the match as Saul piled on the pressure.
Then James Mahoney put the ball through to Callum Mahoney who claimed a point, but Rostrevor fought back and Pat Magee also pointed in this lively match for Rostrevor.
A short time later John Mahoney received a pass through and bolted for the Rostrevor goal and buried it into the Rostrevor net.
With a clear 8 points of a difference, Saul looked unbeatable … but Rostrevor in the last quarter of the game took the fight to Saul with points by Finn Murdoch, Conor Doyle, Shaunn Parr (3) closing the score gap considerably and quickly.
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Rostrevor were possibly within reach of levelling the match as the minutes ticked by. They had recovered and come to life and Parr added another 2 points to his great effort joined with another point from Pat Magee.
Both teams had peppered the goals – it was a game characterised by a lot of wides from both sides, showing how much they were both pressing for points and how much the defenders were making life difficult for the forwards.
But in the end Saul were the clear winners in this match with the final score at Saul 3-09 to 0-14 for Rostrevor who made a strong comeback in the later part of the match.
Saul GAC: 1 Cathail Arnold 2 Callum Mahoney 3 Luka Carew 4 Joe Haynes 5 Odhran Magee 6 Cormac Byrne 7 Ryan Connolly 8 Gary Murdock 9 Rory Mullen 10 Justin Magilton 11 Philip Doran 12 James Mahoney 13 Ciaran Harney 14 Ronan Connor 15 John Mahoney 17 James Johnston 18 Cathal Kinsella 19 Aidan Harney 20 Cian Roberts 21 Sam Burns 24 Michael Connor 25 Jame Shaw 26 Ruairi Gilchrist 28 Lorcan Ritchie.
Rostrevor GAC: 1 Garth Clarke 2 Conal Gordin 3 Tomas Gordin 4 Eoin Murdoch 5 James Donaghy 6 Colm Murney 7 Finn Murdoch 8 Hugh Pat McEvoy 9 Tomas Mulholland 10 Pat Magee 11 Shaunn Parr 12 Patrick Morgan 13 Conor Doyle 14 James Rice 17 Aughal Johnston.
