ALL COUNTY LEAGUE – DIVISION ONE
Naomh Conaill win local derby
NAOMH CONAILL 4-14
ARDARA 2-08
By Harry Walsh in Glenties
NAOMH Conaill brought the curtain down on a disappointing 2013 season with a well earned victory against local rivals Ardara in Davy Brennan Memorial Park earlier this afternoon.
Needing a draw to guarantee their place at the top table next time around, the hosts had in Dermot ‘Brick’ Molloy a forward on top of his game. He finished with a personal tally of 2-06 with Eunan Doherty and the equally impressive Brendan McDyre netting the other goals.
Peter ‘Oliver’ McNelis and Stephen Gildea raised green flags for Ardara who must now dust themselves down and get ready for a crucial relegation play-off game against Four Masters in Tir Chonaill Park before the end of the month.
The visitors opened the scoring through Kevin Breslin who got onto the end of a move involving Noel Gallagher and Stephen Gildea on four minutes.
Naomh Conaill enjoyed their first purple patch of the game for the next ten minutes, scoring five times without reply through Molloy (2), John O’Malley (2) and Anthony Thompson to assume control.
However, when Peter ‘Oliver’ McNelis popped up with the game’s opening goal on 18 minutes followed up two quick fire points from McNelis and Martin Shovin, Adrian Brennan’s team led by a point on 23 minutes.
Molloy (free) briefly brought Naomh Conaill back on level terms only for Tómas Boyle (with the score of the half) and two off the boot of Gareth Concarr (one free) gave Ardara bragging rights going into the break (N Conaill 0-07, Ardara 1-06).
That joy would be short-lived however as Brendan McDyre fired home a superb three-pointer within twenty seconds of the restart.
To their credit, Ardara responded almost immediately with their second goal of the game – Jimmy O’Connell’s ball into the danger area was expertly dispatched beyond Stephen McGrath by Stephen Gildea to level matters once more.
That score only served to concentrate minds in the home camp and unanswered points from McDyre (2) and Molloy say them edge ahead once more by the 40 minute mark.
That lead was out to four shortly afterwards when Daragh Gallagher and Marty Boyle linked well before finding Molloy to shoot high into the net off his right foot.
McDyre’s superb cross field pass put Eunan Doherty through for goal number three on 47 minutes before Molloy fisted home their fourth goal late on.
Defenders Jason Campbell and Johnny Bonner showed that they too know where the target is with late points while Jimmy O’Connell slotted over two fine scores for Ardara.
Molloy, McDyre, Marty Boyle and Anthony Thompson were all impressive for Naomh Conaill while goalkeeper Declan Gallagher, who made two superb saves to deny Molloy and Leo McLoone at the end of the first half, and teenagers Tómas Boyle and Sean McLoughlin showed up well for Ardara.
NAOMH CONAILL: Stephen McGrath; Dermot Ward, Jason Campbell (0-1), Johnny Bonner (0-1); Cathal Ellis, Ciaran Brennan, Marty Boyle; AJ Gallagher, Anthony Thompson (0-1); Brendan McDyre (1-2), Eunan Doherty (1-0), John O’Malley (0-2); Daragh Gallagher (0-1), Leo McLoone, Dermot Molloy (2-6, 1 free, 1 ’45). Subs: Leon Thompson for D Gallagher (22 mins), Ciaran Thompson for O’Malley (26 mins) and D Gallagher for C Thompson (42 mins).
ARDARA: Declan Gallagher; Sean McLoughlin, Declan Gavigan, Kevin Breslin (0-1); Oisin O’Donnell, Stephen McHugh, Kevin Byrne; Brendan McNelis, Jimmy O’Connell (0-2); Stephen Gildea (1-0), Noel Gallagher, Tomas Boyle (0-1); Martin Shovlin (0-1), Peter Oliver McNelis (1-1), Gareth Concarr (0-2, 1 free). SUBS: Francis Boyle for McHugh (16 mins), Patrick Whyte for Gallagher (29 mins), Nicholas Breslin for Gavigan (30 mins) and Eamon Breslin for F Boyle (52 mins).
REFEREE: Mickey Mulhern (St Eunan’s).
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