Tight fight in top flight

Magheracloone's Stephen Gollogly helped earn a draw against Ballybay

JUST six points separate the top eight sides in the Monaghan Senior League as the division prepares to take a break for a couple of weeks.

The games staged on 9th and 10th of June were the last played until the league resumes on Friday, 6th July when there will be a full round of fixtures, although there are a number of championship ties the week before.

The Ballybay and Carrickmacross replay must be played before then too after the sides drew in Aughnamullen on Sunday evening with Cillian Cromwell kicking a late point to give Stefan White’s depleted charges another bite at the cherry.

Ballybay had looked set for victory as a Thomas Kerr goal gave them control early in the second half, but Carrick, who only brought Stephen Gollogly on for the last five minutes, fought back and are still in the race for a first-round meeting with Monaghan Harps.

Ballybay were also without the injured Paul Finlay, and both teams will be hoping to have their star men fully fit for the re-fixture, which has yet to be scheduled.

Ballybay are currently leading the way in Division One, their three-point lead keeping them ahead of the pack with Magheracloone closest to them.

They do, however, face a tricky fixture on their return to league action when they will have to travel to Castleblayney, who are five points behind them in the table. ‘Blayney could have been closer, but they went down 1-13 to 2-12 at home to Latton on Sunday.

They had been winning by two at the interval, but after being reduced to 14 men, Latton turned it around with Hugh McElroy grabbing the crucial second goal.

The full story is in the current issue of Gaelic Life, published on Thursday June 4. Buy your copy now in your local newsagent, or you can purchase the online version – for only 90p – by clicking here