AFL DIV. 2 ROUNDUP – 6TH JUNE

ADULT FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION TWO ROUND-UP: JUNE 6

By Daire Walsh

Templeogue Synge Street produced an outstanding display of attacking football at Dolphin Park on Wednesday to move to the summit of the AFL Division Two table.

Following earlier draws against Whitehall Colmcille and Na Fianna ‘B’, Templeogue trailed Skerries Harps by two points prior to the evening’s proceedings.

However, after Skerries fell to a 2-7 to 1-14 reversal away to Round Tower Clondalkin, their southside counterparts are now ahead of them on score difference.

Although Templeogue lined up without star forward Eoghan O’Gara – 2017 All-Ireland medallist Niall Scully was also absent – his young brother Killian delivered a magnificent performance for the hosts.

With a final haul of 1-10, the impressive O’Gara – who featured for the Sky Blues during this year’s O’Byrne Cup campaign – ensured that Ballyboughal were kept at a safe distance from the opening stages of the contest.

After a glittering inter-county career that saw him picking five Celtic Crosses, Denis Bastick continues to play a prominent role in this Templeogue side. He contributed a 1-1 salvo on the night – a scoring total that was matched by the hard-working Olly Barrett in a dominant showing by the home team.

1-2 apiece from Ger Vickery and Cathal Morley also boosted the TSS tally, and despite the best efforts of Ballyboughal – who have three league wins under their belt in 2018 – they remained in control until the closing moments of the play.

The lively Luke O’Brien also posted 1-3 for the rampant Templeogue, who ultimately claimed a 6-20 to 1-6 triumph at the end of a one-sided affair. They are now the only unbeaten team in the second-tier, as a result of Skerries’ aforementioned loss to Round Towers.

Five wins on the bounce marked Harps out as the division’s in-form team, but they came unstuck at Monastery Road. Towers are now just one point adrift of both Templeogue and Skerries – with nine rounds of fixtures still to play.

Clontarf and Naomh Mearnog began the day in fourth and fifth respectively, but their contrasting fortunes on the field of play saw them swapping positions in the league table.

While ‘Tarf (who were once again able to call on the services of Jack McCaffrey) succumbed to a 1-9 to 0-10 defeat against St Patrick’s, Palmerstown at Glenauline Park, Naomh Mearnog enjoyed a 4-13 to 1-11 win over Fingal Ravens in Rolestown.

In a nail-biting encounter at Saggart, Na Fianna ‘B’ overcame the challenge of St Mary’s by the slenderest of margins (1-11 to 0-13). Raheny edged out local rivals Scoil Ui Chonaill at St Anne’s Park – 0-15 to 0-12 – and Fingallians recorded an impressive 3-8 to 1-8 home triumph against Whitehall Colmcille.

Meanwhile, in a bottom of the table clash, St Anne’s had seven points to spare (2-11 to 1-7) over O’Toole’s – who are still searching for their maiden win in this year’s league.