AFL1 ROUND UP 26TH JULY

Following their narrow 1-6 to 0-6 win over Casteleknock at Tymon North on Wednesday evening, St Jude’s have joined Kilmacud Crokes at the top of the Adult Football League Division One table.

Jude’s shared the spoils with Skerries Harps in their previous league encounter on July 15, and there was little to separate them and Castleknock throughout the course of a low-scoring home affair. However, a 10th-minute goal by Diarmuid McLoughlin offered the Wellington Lane outfit some breathing space, as they led 1-2 to 0-3 during the interval.

Castleknock had claimed a morale-boosting triumph against local rivals St Brigid’s last Saturday week, and they continued to persevere with their challenge in the second-half. Yet, in addition to McLoughlin’s final tally of 1-2, Brendan Lynsey, Mark Sweeney and Ross O’Brien were also on target for the victorious Jude’s.

It is now just score difference that keeps them behind Kilmacud, who recorded a hard-earned 0-17 to 0-15 success at the expense of Ballymun Kickhams at Silver Park last Saturday. Four points apiece from the in-form duo of Mark Vaughan and Pat Burke were crucial on the night for Crokes, and although Kickhams remained in touch, further scores by Callum Pearson, Cian O’Connor, Andrew McGowan and Nathan Nolan helped Gabriel Bannigan’s charges to prevail.

This was Ballymun’s fifth reversal of the campaign, but they kept themselves in the hunt for a play-off spot with a 1-18 to 1-15 victory against St Vincent’s at Pairc Ciceam last night. They are joined in the top-four by St Brigid’s, who picked up two valuable points at home to Clontarf.

They were facing into a stiff breeze in the opening period of their game at Russell Park, but thanks to well-worked efforts from Philly Ryan, Seanie Murray and John O’Loughlin, they were four points to the good (0-7 to 0-3) on the half-hour.

Scores courtesy of Lorcan McCarthy, Adam Keating and Daire Plunkett enhanced their lead after the restart, and even though Clontarf responded with a late goal, Brigid’s came out on the right side of a 0-20 to 1-6 final scoreline.

With a couple of games still in hand, St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh registered a potentially vital win over Lucan Sarsfields at 12th Lock, while St Sylvester’s came out on top of a tight contest against Na Fianna at St Mobhi Road (1-11 to 1-8).

Last year’s champions – Ballyboden St Enda’s – were on a run of four league games without a victory heading into their meeting with Cuala at Hyde Park, but they got back on track with an eight-point winning margin (3-11 to 2-6).