Ardara get the better of battling Dungloe to lift the Donegal MFC Division 2 title

Ardara are Donegal Division 2 MFC winners following Friday night’s final win over Dungloe at the Donegal Training Centre in Convoy.

Four points separated the sides at the finish after the Pearse Park lads produced a strong finish to post four late points after Dungloe had come from behind to tie up the game with a little over ten minutes to go.

Gavin Sweeney, who top-scored on the night with a goal and five points, kicked three of those crucial late scores, and Shane Sweeney raised the other white flag for the boys in green and gold.

Niall Boyle was simply exceptional for the victors and powered by the towering Cian McConnell in the middle of the field and both Sweeneys carving openings up front, Ardara got off to a lightning start.

Two quick Gavin Sweeney points followed by a goal from the penalty spot converted by Sweeney again, saw Ardara lead 1-2 to 0-0 after ten minutes.

The penalty came from a high ball into the Dungloe goalmouth, caught above everybody else by Sweeney, who was fouled as he turned, and referee Anthony Finn did not hesitate to point to the spot.

Dungloe, who struggled in the opening quarter hour to get their hands on the ball, finally got up and running after the game was stopped for 15 minutes as injured Dungloe player Logan O’Donnell was treated on the sideline before being stretchered off with what is believed to be a rib injury.

As the intensity in the game went up a notch or two, full-forward Danny McCready, with a close-in free, opened the Dungloe account, and a couple of minutes later, also from a free, Paddy Bonner landed Dungloe’s second point to leave just a goal between the sides.

But man of the half Gavin Sweeney had the final say of the first half hour with his third point to send Ardara 1-3 to 0-2 in front at the halfway mark.

In a carbon copy of the first half in reverse, Dungloe, with Cianan McDaid, Paddy Bonner, and McCready stepping up, the boys from Rosses Park reeled off the first three points of the new half to trim the Ardara lead to a point.

McDaid, Bonner, and Kieran Doherty kicked the points for a 1-3 to 0-5 game, and the game was still in the melting pot as Dungloe came back to level the tie at 1-7 each with just over five minutes remaining.The impressive Paddy Bonner scored for Dungloe, and Cianan McDaid landed the other Dungloe point despite lads in red and white being down a man after Joe Neely picked up a black card.

The Sweeneys and Eoghan McNelis, with a two-point free, had kicked the Ardara points. 

With the game now on a real knife edge, Dungloe indiscipline overturned a couple of decisions, and Gavin Sweeney’s second-last point came from a close-in free after the ball was brought forward all of 70 metres after what is believed to have been an exchange between the sideline official and a member of Dungloe management.

On the balance of play over the 60-plus minutes, Ardara were marginally the better side and deserving winners, but they were made to fight to the finish by a battling Dungloe.

Ardara scorers: Gavin Sweeney 1-5, 1P, 3f; Shane Sweeney 0-3; Eoghan McNelis 0-2, 1f.

Dungloe scorers: Paddy Bonner 1-3, 1f; Cianan McDaid 0-2, Kieran Doherty, Danny McCready 0-1 each.

Ardara: Ryan McCabe; Ross Diver, Oisin Breslin, Charlie Bennett; Neil Boyle, Adam McGill, Patrick Larry Gallagher; Eoghan Bán McNeilis, Cian McConnell; Callum Cassidy, Jack Elliott, Tiernan Byrne; Gavin Sweeney, Ethan McHugh, Shane Sweeney.

Dungloe: Ronan O’Donnell; Ryan Grannell, Joe Neely, Michael Houston; Conor Brennan, Odhran Bonner, Logan O’Donnell; Cianan McDaid, Kieran Doherty; Jake Bonner, Paddy Bonner, Dylan O’Donnell; Christopher O’Donnell, Danny McCready, Kyle Bonner.

Subs: Eoin McGee for Brennan (19); Liam Ferry for L O’Donnell (24, inj); Oran McHugh for D O’Donnell (48); Seamus Boyce for M Houston (54).

Referee: Anthony Finn (Urris).