Ardara retain championship status as St Naul's fall into SFC relegation decider

Ardara players and management will sleep little sounder in the coming weeks following Sunday afternoon’s SFC relegation playoff semi-final win over St Naul’s in Fintra. 

The Damian Devaney-managed side came from four points down at one stage late in the first-half to eventually win by that same margin in a cracking clash before a big crowd at Eamon Byrne Memorial Park.

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And in a tie where older hands like Paddy McGrath and CJ Molloy also played their part, it was young guns Gavin Sweeney and Kyle McHugh that really stepped up to the plate when Ardara needed it most. 

Between them, the attacking duo top-scored for the winners with a combined tally of 2-6 of their team’s 2-13 total.

Wing forward McHugh kicked a goal and five points - including a pair of two-pointers while corner forward Sweeney posted a goal and a point. 

Sweeney’s maximum eight minutes into the contest came from a long ball in won by Classon who laid it off to the former to open up an early 1-2 to 0-1 lead for the men from Pearse Park. 

And McHugh landed the first of his two-point scores to tie up the game at 1-4 to 0-7 after Gavin Mulreany had kicked three monster two-point frees for St Naul’s. 

With the direct running of Joe Campbell, Peadar Mogan and John Rose asking big questions off the Ardara rearguard, Niall Prenderville fired in goal to go alongside a well-struck Michael Coughlan point to push Naul’s four up with the half-time whistle looming. 

But thanks to two McHugh efforts and a Shane Mooney two-point score in injury time, Ardara recovered to go in level at 1-8 each.

Ardara started the second half on the front and an early CJ Molloy point helped them hit the front foot. 

And when Molloy, who played out the field, plucked a ball out of the sky to set up McHugh for another white flag, that lead was out to two points with seven minutes gone on the second half clock.

And when McHugh cut in from the right wing for Ardara’s second green flag, the men in green and gold were five up at 2-10 to 1-8.

Thomas White then kicked St Naul’s first white flag shortly after and second-half substitute Declan Duignan raised some more hope with his team's second goal after a brilliant Niall Prenderville burst.

That was on 47 minutes and helped trim the Ardara lead to two points at 2-11 to 2-9.  But Ardara, to their credit, closed out the game with a couple of late points.

Ardara scorers: Kyle McHugh 1-5, 2tp; Gavin Sweeney 1-1; C J Molloy 0-3, 1tp; Shane Mooney 0-2, 1tp; Conor Classon 0-1, Niall McCrossan 0-1,1f. 

St Nauls; Gavin Mulreany 0-6 3tpf; Niall Prenderville, Declan Duignan 1-0 each, Joe Campbell, Thomas White and Michael Coughlan 0-1 each.  

Ardara; Patrick Gallagher; Charlie Bennett, Shane Mooney, Danny Walsh; Shane  Whyte, Paddy McGrath, Darragh Hennigan; Conor Classon, John Ross Molloy; Cailum Melly, Joe Melly, Kyle McHugh; Josh Melly,  CJ Molloy, Gavin Sweeney.

Subs: Kevin White for J Melly (51), Niall McCrossan for K McHugh (59). 

St Nauls: Gavin Mulreany; Ryan Coughlan, Brendan McCole, Michael Coughlan; Martin Breslin, Niall Prenderville, John Rose; Lee McBrearty, Barry Griffin; Stuart Johnson, Peadar Mogan, Thomas White; Ian Campbell, Stephen Griffin, Joe Campbell.

Subs: Jonathan O’Driscoll for M Coughlan (47); Barry Burke for T White (51).

Referee: Martin McCormick (Glenfin)