Gaelic Games: Morgan goal seals Rossa win over Naomh Éanna

Antrim Football Division One 

O’Donovan Rossa 1-7 Naomh Éanna 0-6

ROSSA got their ACFL Division One football campaign off to a great start today at Páirc Rossa with Thomas Morgan’s goal proving key in a four-point win over Naomh Éanna on home turf.

The West Belfast outfit started strong with a point after three minutes and after missed chances at either end, Donal Walsh converted a free to level one 10 minutes.

Rossa quickly turned up the pressure with Pierce Shortt gaining a point from a devilishly good kick despite the best efforts of Naomh Éanna’s goalkeeper Michael O’Boyle who attempted to punch away without success, putting the West Belfast men back in the lead.

Rossa continued with a solid line of defence against attempts from the Glengormley men, but they failed to get through and at 16 minutes Tomas Morgan earned them another point.

The game continued back and forth until the West Belfast men broke through again after 19 minutes with Morgan getting another point, and pushing Rossa further into the lead, making the score 0-4 to 0-1.

It was apparent that the Glengormley men needed to act fast to stem the home tide, but were wasteful in front of the posts and on 25 minutes, Rossa’s Dominic McEnhill nipped the ball again over the bar, putting them up to 0-5.

As the first half drew to a close, Naomh Éanna fought back hard to try and settle the scores, with Fionn Nagle adding their second score, closely followed two minutes later by a point from Donal Walsh, leaving Rossa 0-5 to 0-3 ahead at the half.

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Five minutes into the second half, the gap was down to the minimum thanks to Donal Walsh, but the hosts hit back through McEnhill from a free.

Rossa were three clear with less than 10 two play before Kristian Healy pulled one back for the visitors and this set up a tense finish with Naomh Éanna searching for the scores to turn this game their way, but Fionn Nagle was denied any good defending.

Nagle did manage to convert a free to leave just one between the teams yet again, but as they pushed for the leveller in the final minute of normal time, Rossa turned them overland broke forward with Morgan finishing the move with a goal that sealed an opening win for the West Belfast men.

ROSSA: Mick Byrne, Ciaran Orchin, Stephen Shannon, Conor McGowan, Patrick Moyes, Chris McGuinness, Conall McDonald, Cormac McGettigan, Pierce Shortt, Dominic McEnhill, Tomas Morgan, Stephen Beatty, Matthew Mallon, Colm Fleming, Eoghan McMenanim.

Subs: Conall McDonald for Richie Gowdy (45 min), Colm Fleming for Sean Pat Donnelly (45 min)

NAOMH ÉANNA: Michael O’ Boyle, Fiontan Eastwood, Michael McNamee, Niall Heatley, Conan Lyttle, Conor Maxwell, Ciaran Thompson, Niall McKeown, Michael Morgan, Gerard Crossey, Donal Walsh, Kristian Healy, Cormac Morgan, Owen Kennedy, Fionntann O’Connor.