GO AHEAD DUBLIN ADULT FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE ROUND-UP- MAY 21ST
GO AHEAD DUBLIN ADULT FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE ROUND-UP: MAY 21ST
By Daire Walsh
Thomas Davis held onto top spot at the summit of the Go Ahead Adult Football League Division One table following another weekend of compelling club action.
At Portmarnock on Saturday, the Tallaght men recorded a 1-14 to 0-9 victory at the expense of Naomh Mearnog to continue their unbeaten run in this year’s top-tier. With a record of seven wins and three draws, Davis’ are marking themselves out as the team to beat in AFL1.
Coming hot on their heels are Na Fianna, who currently trail the divisional pace-setters by two points and with a game in hand. On their home patch of St Mobhi Road, the Glasnevin outfit triumphed over Skerries Harps on a final scoreline of 2-11 to 1-8.
Elsewhere, Castleknock made it six wins on the bounce with a 2-10 to 0-13 success against Ballinteer St John’s at Marley Park. Just a single point adrift of Na Fianna with the same number of games played, the Somerton Park side are well in contention for top honours.
It was also a profitable evening at 12th Lock for Lucan Sarsfields, where Dave Cullen’s charges were 2-15 to 1-14 winners over Naomh Maur. While former Dublin footballer Ciaran Reddin delivered an impressive display for Maur’s, Lucan had just enough in the tank to finish the weekend in fourth place.
Jack Carey and the evergreen ex-Leitrim footballer Brendan Gallagher rattled the opposition net and with Colm Walsh, Henry Keogh and Mark Lavin also standing out, the hosts had four points to spare in the end.
In the local derby encounter between St Jude’s and Ballyboden St Enda’s at Pairc Ui Murchu, it was the former who came out on top in fine style.
The inclusion of multiple All-Ireland champions Colm Basquel and Michael Darragh Macauley was a boost for Kenny Naughton’s ‘Boden, but the withdrawal of Macauley through injury just past the first-quarter mark did come as a set-back for the home team.
His replacement – Luke O’Donohue – did find the Jude’s net in the early stages of the second half, but their opponents were already firmly in the driving seat by then. Thanks to a brace of majors from corner-forward Simon Murphy, the Templeogue-based side were 11 points to the good at the midway point.
Despite O’Donohue’s intervention after the restart, Jude’s were never in danger of letting their lead slip. In addition to Murphy’s two-goal haul, Kieran Doherty (0-4), Liam Connerton (0-3) and David Sheehy (0-2) also made sizeable contributions for Kieran Durkan’s men.
Although Warren Egan and Basquel amassed a combined tally of five points, ‘Boden ultimately fell to their second reversal of the campaign (2-12 to 1-7).
At Pairc Naomh Uinsionn, St Vincent’s made it back-to-back wins when accounting for Cuala on a score of 1-18 to 2-6.
Cian Dunne got the home team off to an ideal start with a well taken goal but Cuala responded with three unanswered points to draw level. Soon after Niall O’Callaghan struck for their first goal of the contest.
The Marino men were wasteful in the first quarter but finished the half strongly, with points from Sean Lowry, Tomás Quinn and Gavin Burke to open up a 6 point lead at the break.
The second half took a similar pattern with Vins remaining in control and content to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Cuala added a second goal mid-way through the 2ndhalf but with strong defensive performances from Jarlath Curley and Mark L’Estrange, St Vincents closed the game out.
Meanwhile, Kilmacud Crokes got their third victory in succession against Ballymun Kickhams at Silver Park (1-18 to 2-6), while Clontarf had the measure of St Brigid’s by 3-17 to 1-12 at St Anne’s Park.