Go-Ahead Ireland AFL 3 & 4 Round-Up

There was little change at the top of the Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Adult Football League Division 3 table with the leading five teams all picking up wins to cement their promotion ambitions.  

While leaders St Maur’s received a walkover from Clontarf, both Clanna Gael Fontenoy and Ballyboden St Enda’s produced high scoring performances in their wins against Cuala and Trinity Gaels respectively. 

With Erin’s Isle overcoming Clann Mhuire, Round Towers Clondalkin needed to keep up the pace on their fellow challengers and they duly delivered when defeating Thomas Davis by 3-17 to 0-8 at Monastery Road. 

A brace of Ian Ward goals saw the hosts build up a nine-point lead by the interval and they continued to dominate in the second-half through the efforts of Ben Casey and Barry Keane. 

At the opposite end of the table, St Patrick’s Palmerstown picked up their third win of the campaign as they accounted for basement dwellers Ballymun Kickhams by 2-10 to 2-7 at Páirc Ciceam. 

The visitors started on the front foot through a Des Rushe goal with a two-pointed score by Alan Griffin helping secure a six-point lead.  

With PJ Graham, Ciaran Deegan and Peter McNamara impressing, St Pat’s continued to control matters with a goal from Cian Devitt and a two-pointed score by Garbhán Gallagher leaving them 2-8 to 2-2 clear by half-time. 

Points from Dave Griffin and Adam Lambe helped maintain their buffer and despite losing Karl Hemeryck to a dislocated shoulder, the visitors withstood some late Ballymun pressure in relative comfort.  

Go-Ahead Ireland AFL3: Ballyboughal 6-16 St Finian’s Swords 4-11; St Anne’s v St Margaret’s OFF; Trinity Gaels 3-10 Ballyboden St Enda’s 3-19; Erin’s Isle 1-17 Clann Mhuire 1-10; Round Towers Clondalkin 3-17 Thomas Davis 0-8; Ballymun Kickhams 2-7 St Patrick’s Palmerstown 2-10; Clanna Gael Fontenoy 3-17 Cuala 1-7; Clontarf scr. St Maur’s w/o.

In the Go-Ahead Ireland AFL4, Castleknock stretched their lead at the top of the table to two points but were pushed all the way before seeing off a determined Fingal Ravens by 3-11 to 2-11 in Somerton Park. 

The hosts trailed by 2-5 to 0-7 at half-time but goals early in the second-half from the influential Mark Connellan and Cian Boyle helped turn the tide in their favour with Boyle adding his second goal to ensure his team’s success. 

Their buffer at the summit was doubled as second-place O’Dwyer’s were forced to share the spoils, drawing 0-18 to 2-12 away to Good Counsel/Liffey Gaels. 

Meanwhile, Man O’War kept up their promotion aspirations as they comfortably defeated an understrength St Vincent’s by 0-24 to 0-7 at Páirc Naomh Uinsionn. 

The likes of Rob Lynch and Sam Clancy were instrumental in the visitors taking control of matters and they made their dominance count on the scoreboard through the consistent contributions from Sean Hussey and Cian Daly. 

That win leaves the North County outfit in fifth spot, two points behind both St Sylvester’s and St Peregrine’s, who recorded home wins against St Finian’s Newcastle and Lucan Sarsfields respectively.    

Go-Ahead Ireland AFL4: Geraldine P. Moran 1-10 Garristown 0-14; St Peregrine’s 2-17 Lucan Sarsfields 2-12; O’Toole’s 2-15 St Jude’s 0-16; St Sylvester’s 3-13 St Finian’s Newcastle 2-12; Good Counsel/Liffey Gaels 2-12 O’Dwyer’s 0-18; Kilmacud Crokes 0-15 Ballinteer St John’s 3-8; St Vincent’s 0-7 Man O’War 0-24; Castleknock 3-11 Fingal Ravens 2-11.