KILCAR HAD LITTLE trouble in seeing off battling Ardara to reach a third Donegal Under-21 Championship final in a row.
Kilcar 2-07 Ardara 1-03
Second half goals by Ryan McHugh (pictured above) and Chris Doogan put a gloss on things for John McNulty’s team, but there was no doubting who the more superior side was.
Ardara gave themselves some home when Tomás Boyle’s shot from distance squirmed through the fingers of Michael Cunningham for a fortuitous goal;.
Ardara were 0-6 to 0-2 behind at the short whistle in a game played in wintry conditions in Glencolmcille.
That goal brought them to within two points, 0-7 to 1-2, but they were rocked back on their heels when McHugh caught out Patrick Gavigan in the Ardara net.
Doogan slotted in the second goal late in the day, by which stage Kilcar were already planning for the final.
Conor Doherty and Matthew McClean had got Kilcar off and running before Stefan Boyle opened the Ardara account, but with Aodhán McGinley and Stephen McBrearty – one of the new faces in the Donegal senior panel confirmed by Rory Gallagher this afternoon – on the mark made it 0-4 to 0-1.
A Boyle free kept Ardara in touch only for McGinley and McBrearty to widen the margin by the break.
Damian Diver’s Ardara were ignited by Boyle’s goal, but the flames were quickly extinguished by McHugh as Kilcar resumed control.
Kilcar: Michael Cunningham; Eoghan O’Donnell, Daniel Lyons, James Shovlin; Cormac Cannon, Ryan McHugh (1-0), Jordan Mooney; Aodhan McGinley (0-2,1f), Stephen McBrearty (0-3, 1f); Andrew McClean, Mathew McClean (0-1), Conor Doherty (0-1); Chris Doogan (1-0), Jason Campbell, Neil Sweeney. Sub: John James McNelis for Neil Sweeney (59).
Ardara: Patrick Gavigan; Conor Gallagher, Nicolas Breslin, Joe Melly; John Ross Molloy; Killian Boyle, Tony Harkin; Eoghan O’Donnell, Kevin Herron; Kyle Gallagher, Kevin Whyte, Brendan McNelis (0-1,1f); Tomás Boyle (1-0), Stefan Boyle (0-2), Jack Brennan. Subs: Lorcan O’Donnell for K Gallagher (45), Aaron Bennett for S Boyle (50).
Referee: Jimmy White (Killybegs).
Tags: