Aidan McAnespies 4-15 Christopher’s 4-8
Aidan McAnespies recorded a fully deserved Christopher’s
though not without some late anxiety.
Having outplayed their opponents for most of the game, McAnespies
conceded four second half goals that turned what had looked like a win in the
bag into some anxious second half minutes.
McAnespie nerves were calmed with a late goal from Kevin McKernan with a
few minutes to go. The fact that
McAnespies could afford to concede four second half goals and still end up 7
point victors underlined their dominance over the course of the afternoon.
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| Kevin McKernan netted 4 goals Sunday. |
McAnespies were in control for most of the first half and
behind two goals from McKernan who lined out at center forward took the break
eight points to the good. Some solid
defending and great running from the half back line forward were the hallmarks
of McAnespies first half performance.
Christopher’s did not do themselves any favours and had a multitude of
chances to score, but did not take advantage and slipped farther behind in the
race. It took an awful lot of work to
tally the four first half points for Christopher’s, while for McAnespies the
scores flowed a little easier and came from multiple scorers. Shane Daly, McKernan, Paul Kingston, and
Darren McElroy were all on the mark.
Sitting on a 2-7 to 0-4 half time lead, McAnespies looked well in
control.
The second half continued in the same vein as the first,
with McAnespies playing at a higher level of intensity. When not in possession McAnespies worked hard
to win the ball back, and when with the ball the northerners ran for each other. Christopher’s continued to squander chances
and seemed to be looking for things to happen easy. McKernan completed a hat trick mid-way
through the half, the Antrim man taking a pass from Paul Forde to finish from
just outside the small box.
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| Christopher's Mark Delaney knocks Barry Kerr off the ball. |
Christopher’s managed a goal on their third opportunity, the
first two goal attempts were saved well by Ryan McCrystal, while the third
effort from the boot of Hodgins found the net.
By that stage Christopher’s were looking at a 10 point deficit. McAnespies responded with three points,
Dessie Ward, McElroy and McKernan on target.
Christopher’s made things interesting, and raised some concern among
McAnespie’s supporters after Christopher’s opened up the McAnespie defence on
two occasions and Conor O’Brien and Syl Byrne netted. Cormac Collins netted a fourth goal shortly
after to bring Christopher’s within five points and still 7 minutes to go, was
an unlikelt comeback on the cards? Not
so said McKernan who averted a possible catastrophe from a McAnespie viewpoint,
with his fourth goal. McAnespies add a
fully deserved 2 points with Christopher’s still looking for their first win of
the season.
Macs: R. McCrystal,
M. Bogue, J. Allen, B. Kerr, C. Daly, JP Gallagher, S. Daly, D. Ward, P. Daly,
K. McKernan, A. Forde, P. Kingston, D. McElroy.
Christopher’s: R. Lavelle, D.
Kelliher, R. Vallejo, S. Lonergan, J. Horgan, P. Allen, C. O’Brien, S. Byrne,
M. Delaney, D. Neville, N. Hughes, D. Kenneally, K. Hodgins.
By Rory O'Donnell
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