Round-Up: Go-Ahead Ireland AFL1 & AFL2 April 26th

A youthful St Jude’s picked up their first league win of the season as they edged Raheny by 3-16 to 2-16 in their Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Adult Football League Division 1 encounter in St Anne’s Park on Saturday evening. 

With eight of their team still under twenty, the visitors competed well throughout with the likes of Kamen Bagnall, Paddy Keighran, Dara Kavanagh and Sean Kirwan all enjoying influential displays. 

Mick Lawlor top scored with 1-7 and with Alan Connolly and Eoin Kenny also raising green flags, St Jude’s claimed a precious victory thanks to further scores from Liam Toye (0-3), Seamus Noone (0-2), Oisín Costello (0-2), Keighran (0-1) and Simon King (0-1).

There was another away win at St Mobhi Road as Castleknock scored goals at vital times when beating Na Fianna by 2-14 to 0-13. 

Cian Boyle and Darragh Warnock bagged the goals for the visitors, who pulled away thanks to points from Ger McDermottroe and Conor Chawke and impressive performances over the hour from Danny Leonard and Evan McSherry.

On an evening of hugely competitive and entertaining fare, two of the eight matches finished in stalemate with leaders Ballymun Kickhams dropping their first points of the year when drawing 3-15 apiece with Thomas Davis at Kiltipper Road. 

That result allowed Ballinteer St John’s to close the gap at the top as they edged local rivals Kilmacud Crokes by 2-14 to 1-16, one of three matches to finish in a one-point home win.

Paul Mannion kicked three points to hand Crokes the early initiative but the hosts responded through 1-2 from Luke Cullen with a brace of Liam Fenton points building a 1-7 to 0-5 lead by half-time. 

St John’s maintained that momentum upon the restart with Aaron Bradshaw plundering 1-1 while further scores from Seamus Fenton and Liam Fenton doubled their lead with twenty minutes left. 

Dara Mullen and Mannion replied with two-pointers to revive Kilmacud’s chances but Ballinteer held on through late points by Jack Long and Liam Fenton and the leadership shown by Dave Devereux and Patrick Coleman.      

Cuala also prevailed by the narrowest of margins, preserving their unbeaten record by pipping St Pat’s Donabate by 2-16 to 3-12 in Hyde Park. 

Dan O’Sullivan excelled throughout for the hosts with newcomer Fergal Henry (0-3) and Conor O’Brien (0-6) also to the fore while goals from Cillian Dunne and Jamie Conroy helped them over the line.   

GO-AHEAD IRELAND AFL1 RESULTS: Cuala 2-16 St Patrick’s Donabate 3-12; Thomas Davis 3-15 Ballymun Kickhams 3-15; Ballinteer St John’s 2-14 Kilmacud Crokes 1-16; St Mary’s Saggart 7-10 St Vincent’s 0-19; Skerries Harps 0-20 Lucan Sarsfields 1-17; Raheny 2-16 St Jude’s 3-16; Clontarf 2-15 Ballyboden St Enda’s 2-14; Na Fianna 0-13 Castleknock 2-14. 

In AFL2, Fingal Ravens produced a dominant first-half display when overcoming league leaders St Maur’s by 3-18 to 2-17 in their absorbing encounter in Rolestown on Saturday evening. 

The hosts played up the hill in the opening-half and settled quickly through points from Dylan Kettle, Niall Daly and Eric Donohoe. 

A superb Brian Gleeson goal added momentum to their play with a calmly converted Sean Kinsella penalty pushing Ravens into a 2-12 to 1-2 interval lead. 

The introduction of Ciaran Archer off the bench saw St Maur’s control the third quarter with the talented attacker giving a masterclass in two-pointers to revive his team’s fortunes as the Ravens lead was cut to two points. 

Crucially, the hosts replied through late points from substitutes Jake Pope and Conor Farrell while a second Kinsella penalty handed them a sufficient buffer by the final whistle. 

That victory saw Fingal Ravens leapfrog St Maur’s into joint top spot alongside both Whitehall Colmcille and St Brigid’s, who registered narrow victories over Scoil Uí Chonaill and Naomh Mearnóg respectively.  

GO-AHEAD IRELAND AFL2 RESULTS: St Sylvester’s 3-20 Fingallians 5-6; Whitehall Colmcille 2-14 Scoil Uí Chonaill 1-14; Templeogue Synge Street 2-10 Erin’s Isle 2-12; Naomh Mearnóg 1-12 St Brigid’s 1-14; Fingal Ravens 3-18 St Maur’s 2-17; Clanna Gael Fontenoy 1-7 Naomh Olaf 2-16; Kilmacud Crokes 0-9 St Oliver Plunkett’s/ER 4-11; Round Towers Lusk 3-21 Naomh Barróg 4-21.