GAOTH DOBHAIR ARE still top of the AllSportStore.com All-County Football League Division 1 following their win over basement side Ardara today.
Gaoth Dobhair 2-14 Ardara 1-11
It was the visitors who started the brighter. By the 12th minute they’d managed to manufacture a 1-3 to 0-0 lead, with Gareth Concarr putting over three frees. Ardara’s goal came on 12 minutes when CJ Molloy caught a high ball in from Brenda McNelis and hammered past Christopher Sweeney in the Gaoth Dobhair goal.
Photo caption: Gaoth Dobhair’s Michael Carroll in action against Ardara this afternoon in the AllSportStore.com All-County Football League Division 1 at Magheragallon
The home team soon came to the boil and were soon level at 1-3 to 1-3. Odhrán MacNiallais popped over two points and Cian Mulligan was also on the mark.
[adrotate group=”31″]MacNiallais set Mulligan away then and Ardara were indebted to goalkeeper Gary McHugh for a fantastic save. However, Kieran Gillespie – after an exchange of passes with Eoin Ward – did get a Gaoth Dobhair goal on 27 minutes.
Concarr, though, added two more frees and MacNiallais replied. Naoise Ó Baoill palmed a second Gaoth Dobhair goal in first half injury after swapping passes with both Ward and Noel Kelly. Kevin Cassidy’s point at the end of the that half meant Gaoth Dobhair were 2-5 to 1-5 ahead at the break.
The second half saw the action ebb and flow with both teams enjoying their moments. Lorcan O’Donnell pointed for Ardara before three on the bounce – two from MacNiallais and Michael McKelvey also scored.
[adrotate group=”31″]MacNiallais scored again before Ardara hit three on the spin, with Concarr, McNelis and Stefan Boyle. That made it 2-11 to 1-9.
Both sides had goal chances then. Jamie Reynolds blocked to deny Molloy and at the other end, after Eamon McGee saw a free pinched, Molloy was denied by a top class save from Sweeney in the Gaoth Dobhair goal.
In between times, Mulligan saw Declan Gavigan stop his effort at goal and then Niall Friel saw McHugh stop his effort.
[adrotate group=”45″]But it was Gaoth Dobhair who finished out the game well with Kelly, MacNiallais, Michael Carroll and McKelvey all scoring late in the day.
They did, though, finish with 14 men when Robbie O’Donnell gave a red card to Gavin McBride for a high challenge on Kieran Breslin, although the Gaoth Dobhair player did feel there was no real malice in it.
[adrotate group=”74″]Gaoth Dobhair: Christopher Sweeney; Gary McFadden, Jamie Reynolds, Eamon McGee; Niall Friel, Kieran Gillespie (1-0), Jamie Boyle; Peter McGee, Odhrán MacNiallais (0-8, 3f); Naoise Ó Baoill (1-0), Kevin Cassidy (0-1), Noel Kelly (0-1); Eoin Ward, Michael Carroll (0-1), Cian Mulligan (0-1). Subs: Michael McKelvey (0-2, 2 ’45’) for J Boyle (29), Gavin McBride for Ó Baoill (50)
Ardara: Gary McHugh; Kevin Whyte, Declan Gavigan, John Ross Molloy; Johnny Herron (0-1), Paddy McGrath, Kenneth Doherty; Conor Classon, Brendan McNelis (0-2, 2f); Lorcan O’Donnell (0-1), Kieran Breslin, Jack Brennan; CJ Molloy (1-0), Gareth Concarr (0-6, 3f), Ryan Malley. Subs: Stefan Boyle (0-1) for Whyte (20), Killian Boyle for JR Molloy (30).
Referee: Robbie O’Donnell (Naomh Muire).
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