A Round Up Of This Weeks Go-Ahead Ireland AFL 1 & AFL 2

Ballyboden St Enda’s continue to lead the way at the summit of the Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Adult Football League Division 1 table as they overcame Clontarf by 1-25 to 1-15 at Páirc Uí Mhurchú on Saturday afternoon. 

Hot on their heels remain a Na Fianna team that picked up their fifth win on the bounce as they defeated St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh by 3-17 to 1-14 at Martin Savage Park.  

There was another away win at Somerton Park on Sunday morning as Kilmacud Crokes delivered a strong second quarter display when getting the better of Castleknock by 2-21 to 2-11. 

Despite falling four points behind in the early stages, the visitors dominated the following twenty minutes with goals by Shane Cunningham and Luke Ward augmented by further scores from Cian O’Connor, Shane Horan, Ward, Anthony Quinn and Cunningham as they led by 2-9 to 1-7 at half-time. 

While the hosts resumed on the front foot, Crokes quelled any hopes of a comeback through two-pointed efforts from Ward and O’Connor while Andrew McGowan, Craig Dias and Aidan Jones also chipped in with scores to ease their side home.

In Marlay Park, Ballymun Kickhams ended Ballinteer St John’s fine recent record as they prevailed by 4-13 to 1-13. 

The visitors raced from the blocks through a trio of Dean Rock points and a superb Robbie Bolger goal moved them further clear with the only bright spot for the hosts being a sublime Jack Lundy goal, that trimmed their deficit to 2-9 to 1-2 by the interval. 

Lundy and Aaron Bradshaw helped claw their team back into the contest as they shared ten points but Kickhams would not be denied as they added insurance goals on the counter-attack.  

Go-Ahead Ireland AFL1: St Sylvester’s 0-9 Lucan Sarsfields 0-15; Thomas Davis 3-16 Cuala 4-10; Ballinteer St John’s 1-13 Ballymun Kickhams 4-13; St Oliver Plunkett’s/ER 1-14 Na Fianna 3-17; Ballyboden St Enda’s 1-25 Clontarf 1-15; St Mary’s Saggart 1-14 St Patrick’s Donabate 0-17; Castleknock 2-11 Kilmacud Crokes 2-21; St Jude’s 2-23 Fingal Ravens 0-8.

In the Go-Ahead Ireland AFL2, St Vincent’s bounced back from their midweek defeat to league leaders Skerries Harps when making the short but fruitful trip down the Clontarf Road, overcoming Scoil Uí Chonaill by 2-25 to 1-7 on Sunday morning. 

The win leaves them in second spot in the table with Nathan Mullins (1-2), Mark L’Estrange (0-2), Albert Martin (0-3) and James McCusker (0-4) all featuring prominently for the Marino outfit. 

The battle for the third promotion spot looks like a straight contest between St Brigid’s and Raheny as they experienced contrasting wins over the weekend. 

While St Brigid’s eased their way to a comfortable 2-11 to 0-6 win against Naomh Olaf on Saturday afternoon, Raheny were pushed all the way before pipping Naomh Barróg by 0-16 to 1-12 in Páirc Barróg on Sunday morning.

With the wind at their backs, the visitors opened up a healthy 0-14 to 1-4 lead by the turnaround with a brace of two-pointed scores from Paddy Reid added to by further orange flags from play by Collie Hehir, Conor Baldwin, Darren Lunney and Rob Hennelly. 

The hosts fought back impressively in the final quarter but second-half points by substitutes Killian McGuirk and Darren Byrne along with the excellence of Ben McHugh, Jack Fagan and Ciaran Harnett saw Raheny hold on for their second one-point success in five days.  

Go-Ahead Ireland AFL2: Scoil Uí Chonaill 1-7 St Vincent’s 2-25; Whitehall Colmcille 2-19 Naomh Mearnóg 2-8; Templeogue Synge Street 4-14 Na Fianna 0-15; Naomh Barróg 1-12 Raheny 0-16; Naomh Fionnbarra 0-7 Fingallians 3-16; St Brigid’s 2-11 Naomh Olaf 0-6; Skerries Harps 2-19Round Towers Lusk 1-8; Pobal Parnell 0-16 Kilmacud Crokes 4-9.