Match of the Week: Anne’s preserve survival hopes after win at Lucan

LUCAN Sarsfields may have kept pace with St Anne’s throughout the opening 15 minutes of their Adult Football League Division Six encounter at the 12th Lock on Sunday, but once the Bohernabreena side flexed their muscles, there was only ever going to be one winner.

It’s not like Anne’s have been lighting up fires this season, but having managed to finally cobble together a near full-strength squad over recent weeks, the results have started to roll in.

And, hopefully for them, it will not have been too late as their bid for survival arrives at a crucial last stop at St Brigid’s against whom, nothing short of victory will be required.

Likewise, Lucan have found themselves also struggling to avoid relegation and their fate now hinges on the closing match of their campaign against Kilmacud Crokes.

Given that scenario, the spoils from Sunday’s match were priceless for both teams and it looked as if a tight battle might ensue as the homeside managed to counter all that the visitors threw at them in the early stages, with Jordan Delmar and Noel Flynn both striking over.

St Anne’s maintained a grip on their lifeline to survival in AFL Six this season

It was the best that Lucan could muster up, as Anne’s and, Conor Lee in particular, began to exert a strong grip on proceedings.

Indeed Lee would emerge as the game’s top scorer with a haul of 1-10 while Josh Dodd, Jack Mahoney and Michael Brennan also split the posts.

Lucan Sarsfields continue to battle for survival in Division Six of the Adult Football League

While the scores have been coming thick and fast for the Saints in recent fixtures it has been the turnaround made in defence that has proven key in salvaging them a lifeline this season.

The Bohernabreena outfit shipped no less than 16 goals in their opening five games of the campaign, but in their last four, have conceded just two.

And their net was undisturbed yet again last weekend thanks in no small measure to the efforts of goalkeeper, David Wright who pulled off superb saves from two point-blank efforts, which otherwise could have spurred Lucan to a much more serious challenge.

Hugh Cuffe of Lucan Sarsfields

Codie Preston, Seán Óg, Martin Quinn and Lee Dunne also put in a huge shift at the back on Sunday, the latter having to be moved from left corner back to corner forward after sustaining a calf injury when his side were left devoid of substitutes.

Yet, by this point, Anne’s were out of sight and never in danger of letting slip a victory that preserves some hope of remaining in AFL Six.

St Anne’s Codie Preston

This win, together with a victory over St Jude’s and a draw with Ballyfermot De la Salle has resulted in the accumulation of seven points, but they will need to keep that run going against a St Brigid’s team that sits seventh in the table.

LUCAN SARSFIELDS : D Davis, J McCarry, Z Delmar, J O’Toole, S Keher, D Gallagher, D Coogan, H Cuffe, T Bradley, B Kavanagh, A Conheady, S Colfer, N Murray, N Flynn, J Delmar.

ST ANNE’S : D Wright, J Leavy, M Quinn, L Dunne, S Galvin, C Preston, S Óg, S McCahill, K Nolan, S O’Brien, C Lee, J Dodd, B Bibby, M Brennan, J Mahoney