MacCumhaills impressively pick up pace to leave Ardara trailing in their wake 

MacCumhaills remain unbeaten in the SFC after this comprehensive 12-point win over Ardara in Pearse Memorial Park on Saturday evening. 

The visitors to the south west at the weekend led by four at the changeover but kicking on in the second stanza, they outscored their hosts 2-12 to 1-7 after the restart to confidently move to five points in the group standings. 

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In a lively opening half hour it was the visitors and, in particular, Oisin Gallen, that stood up and stood out most. 

Gary Wilson’s side exited with a 0-10 to 0-6 upper hand at the changeover with Gallen kicking four of those as well as having a direct hand in another four of the visitors’ other scores. 

Ardara just couldn’t contain the MacCumhaills dangerman with Joe Melly, Paddy McGrath and Shane Whyte all taking turns to try to curb that standout influence. 

Cailum Malley had kicked Damian Devaney’s hosts ahead right from throw-in but a Gallen brave quickly turned that early momentum. 

Sean Martin made it 3-1 on five minutes with an already rampant Gallen teeing that one up. CJ Molloy then landed a free but with Kevin McCormick twice hitting the mark, MacCumhaills now led by three. 

Kyle McHugh stepped up with a brilliant two-pointer from play, swinging it over sweetly under pressure and off the left peg. 

Ardara were then back on level terms nearing the end of the opening quarter as KJ Molloy reacted quickest to a punched Eoin Gallen clearance. 

MacCumhaills, though, really began to turn the screw at the midpoint of the opening act with  Gallen getting inside far too easily before the same player drew a foul for Keegan to notch a third. 

Martin, with his second, and Marty O’Reilly up top, then made it a 0-9 to 0-5 game with four minutes left to go on the opening half clock. 

Before that short whistle, Conor Classon stemmed the tide with a timely Ardara effort but right before the break, Gallen again drew the foul and from the resulting free made it a four-point game at the midpoint. 

When things got back going, McCormick and Keegan added a quickfire brace for MacCumnhaills while Molloy, with a free, pushed Ardara onto seven. 

It was then that MacCumhaills really pushed the button as they pinged 2-6 with little interruption as they jumped to 2-18 by the 50th minute. 

McCormick got that scoring burst going while Fintan Griffin, Gallen twice, McCormick again and Conor McGinty all landed overs. 

With McCormick now the thorn in Ardara’s side, he blasted in the first of two second-half goals on 39 minutes while Gallen also clipped home a penalty at the end of all of that blitz. 

KJ Molloy did fire over down the other end in between but at 2-18 to 0-8, this one was out of sight with a 16-point deficit now between the sides. 

CJ Molloy did pull a goal back for Ardara down the stretch while substitute Charlie Bennett and Niall McCrossan, with 0-3, brought the curtain down on the hosts’ night. 

Gallen would add to his own tally with three late efforts as they approach the fourth and final round of group games sitting pretty.

Ardara, meanwhile, after an encouraging enough opening to their championship campaign, must go back to the drawing board. 

Ardara scorers: CJ Molloy 1-3,2f; Niall McCrossan 0-3, 1tpf; Kyle McHugh 0-2, 1tp; KJ Molloy 0-2; Conor Classon, Cailum Malley and Charlie Bennett 0-1 each. 

MacCumhaills scorers: Oisin Gallen 1-10,1tp, 1f;  Kevin McCormick 1-5; Jamie Keegan 0-2,1f; Sean Martin 0-2; Marty O’Reilly, Fintan Griffin Conor McGinty 0-1 each. 

Ardara: Matthew McGlynn; Johnny McGonagle, Joe Melly, Danny Walsh; Shane Whyte, Paddy McGrath, Darragh Hennigan; John Ross Molloy, Conor Classon; Cailum Malley, Kyle McHugh, Josh Malley; Kevin Whyte, CJ Molloy, KJ Molloy. 

Subs: Johnny McHugh and Shane Molloy for McGonagle and Kevin Whyte (both 37); Charlie Bennett for McGrath (45); Niall McCrossan for KJ Molloy (47). 

MacCumhaills: Eoin Gallen; Ruairi Callaghan, Conor Griffin, Fionn McGinty; Cian Mulligan, Sean Martin, Fintan Griffin; Luke Gavigan, Joe Boyle; Chad McSorley, Jamie Keegan, Conor McGinty; Kevin McCromick, Oisin Gallen, Marty O’Reilly. 

Subs: Sean Breen for McSorely (40), Shaun McMenamin for  C Griffin (45),  Aaron Kelly for Finn McGinty (53), Alan Sproule for M O’Reilly (55).  

Referee: Anthony McCallig (Naomh Ultan).