Round Up: Go-Ahead Ireland AFL 2

Sunday morning saw the start of the Go-Ahead Ireland Adult Football League Division 2 season with Raheny doing just enough to see off a determined Templeogue Synge Street by 1-14 to 1-11 in St Claire’s.

The bulk of the damage was done in the first-half as Raheny built up a wind-assisted 1-9 to 0-6 interval advantage with their goal arriving through Cian Ivers following fine approach play from Colin McAweeney.

Their ability to kick two-pointers was also a key feature of their win with goalkeeper Rob Hennelly converting three attempts over the hour while Paddy Reid added another from open play.

Ivers finished the game with 1-4 to his name as Raheny with stood some late Synge pressure with points by Glenn McNamara and Jack Fagan helping them over the line.

There was another home win in Páirc Mearnóg as 14-man Naomh Mearnóg eased to a comfortable 5-12 to 1-8 win against newly-promoted Naomh Fionnbarra.

The hosts played the entire second-half with a numerical disadvantage but made light of that issue thanks to influential performances by Mick Fitzgerald, Jamie Walsh, Karl Lynch Bissett and Cian Madden.

The only away win of the morning arrived in Russell Park as Scoil Uí Chonaill narrowly got the better of St Brigid’s by 0-16 to 1-12.

Evan Doyle led the way for the visitors with a storming performance around the middle third while the accuracy of Emmet Rogan from placed balls was equally important as he amassed eight points by the final whistle.

Karl Martin and Brendan Murray also made valuable contributions on the scoreboard and they levelled matters late on as goalkeeper Andy Bunyan added a superb two-pointed score.

There was sufficient time for Martin to edge Scoil in front and they withstood some late home pressure to take the spoils.

The margin of victory was far greater in Skerries as Harps eased past Fingallians by 4-17 to 0-10.

The foundation for their victory lay at the back with the efforts of Adam El Shamy and Fionn O’Leary typifying their tightness over the hour while Darragh Redmond provided a solid platform atcentrefieldfor the winners.

This allowed the likes of Kevin Gilmore, Rob Delaney and Harry Dawson to sparkle up front on a memorable week for Skerries, who had three players (Greg McEneaney, Ethan Dunne and Eoghan O’Connor Flanagan) star in DCU’s Sigerson Cup final victory over UCD.

Elsewhere, St Vincent’s and Round Towers Lusk registered three-point victories over Pobail Parnell and Whitehall Colmcille respectively while Naomh Olaf against Naomh Barróg and Kilmacud Crokes against Na Fianna finished in high-scoring stalemates.

Go-Ahead Ireland AFL2: St Vincent’s 1-15 Pobail Parnell1-12; Naomh Olaf 2-16 Naomh Barróg 2-16; Naomh Mearnóg 5-12 Naomh Fionnbarra 1-8; St Brigid’s1-12 Scoil Uí Chonaill 0-16; Kilmacud Crokes 2-14 Na Fianna 1-17; Skerries Harps 4-17 Fingallians 0-10; Raheny 1-14 Templeogue Synge Street 1-11; Round Towers Lusk 3-14 Whitehall Colmcille 1-17.