AFL DIV. 2 ROUNDUP – 4TH JULY
ADULT FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION TWO ROUND-UP: JULY 4
By Daire Walsh
Templeogue Synge Street and Skerries Harps continue to lead the way in Division Two of the Adult Football League, following their respective victories over O’Toole’s and Fingal Ravens on Wednesday evening.
Ahead of their meeting at Dolphin Park on Sunday week (July 15), the two sides are joined on 14 points apiece at the summit of the table. Despite having a game in hand on Harps, Templeogue’s superior score difference ensures they remain in the second-tier box seat.
After edging out Clontarf on a scoreline of 1-10 to 0-12 seven days earlier, Templeogue were hot favourites to secure a sixth league win at the expense of O’Toole’s – who are still searching for a maiden success in this year’s competition.
However, the northsiders have been competitive in recent outings and made life difficult for TSS throughout their encounter at Blunden Drive. The four points dropped by Templeogue to date have all come in away fixtures, though they claimed a hard-earned triumph against Fingal Ravens at Rolestown in mid-May.
Indeed, courtesy of goals in each half by Barry Fitzgerald, they managed to keep a stubborn O’Toole’s at a distance. Experienced attacker Ger Vickery contributed six points for the visitors on the night, while former Dublin U21 star Rob Power capped a fine performance with a 0-2 salvo.
Cathal Morley, Olly Lynch, Olly Barrett, Eoin O’Donovan and Mark Hayes also chipped in with crucial scores, ensuring that Templeogue finished with five points to spare – 2-13 to 1-11.
Although they will have an opportunity to move clear in Division Two, they will undoubtedly be wary of the significant threat Harps will pose to their perfect home league record.
Three defeats on the bounce seemed to place a dent in Skerries’ promotion ambitions, before they eventually returned to winning ways away to St Patrick’s, Palmerstown last Wednesday week. With a number of first-team regulars absent – including All-Ireland winning Dublin captain Bryan Cullen – it was expected that Harps’ clash with Fingal Ravens on home soil would be a tight and tense affair.
They welcomed former Dublin underage star Donnacha Reilly back into the fold and were able to call upon the reliable figure of Harry Dawson in attack. Though their interval lead stood at just two points (0-9 to 0-7), Skerries discovered an extra gear on the restart.
A Dawson penalty created clear daylight between the teams and set them on their way to a seventh league win. Ravens did make life interesting for the home team with a goal in the closing stages of the contest, but it wasn’t enough to deny Skerries a deserved 1-15 to 1-10 victory.
In addition to Dawson’s final tally of 1-5, teenager Cillian McGinnis and half-forward Oisin O’Leary (son of Sky Blues legend John) registered a combined haul of seven points to give their side a decisive edge.
Meanwhile, Fingallians kept their own promotion surge alive with a 3-15 to 1-9 win over St Anne’s at Lawless Park. This was the Swords outfit’s fourth victory on the bounce – which also extended their unbeaten run to six games.
Naomh Mearnog also recorded a five-point triumph (1-11 to 0-9) against Na Fianna ‘B’ at Portmarnock to retain a spot in the top-four. Having previously found themselves at the top of the table, Round Tower Clondalkin dropped down to fifth with a 2-8 to 0-16 reversal at the hands of Raheny at St Anne’s Park.
Clontarf responded to last week’s agonising defeat to Templeogue by overcoming the challenge of St Mary’s Saggart (0-15 to 0-13), while Scoil Ui Chonaill squeezed past St Patrick’s, Palmerstown on a score of 2-11 to 2-10.
Elsewhere, Ballyboughal secured the spoils in a nail-biting affair with Whitehall Colmcille at Collins Avenue – 4-9 to 2-13 was how it finished.