Ardara hit early goals to defeat Red Hughs in Division 2

Two early goals paved the way for a second successive Division 2 win for Ardara with Saturday evening's eight point victory over Red Hughs in Monellan.

Shane Sweeney inside four minutes and Jamie Elliott less than two minutes later set the men from Pearse as they went on to dominate most of the 60-plus minutes of play. 

Sweeney pounced when Eoghan Bán McNelis’s initial shot was parried away by Red Hughs goalkeeper Luke Kelly into the path of the Ardara number 15, and he tapped the ball into the empty net.

Elliott then palmed home the second three-pointer after good approach play by Eoghan Bán McNelis and Cian Sweeney.

Leading 2-0 inside six minutes, Ardara turned up the heat, and the locals struggled with the pace and powerful running of the men from Pearse Memorial Park.

Danny Walsh, raiding on the left wing, fired over two quick-fire points, and goal scorer Elliott split the posts for a 2-3 to 0-3 lead by the ten-minute mark. 

Cathair Browne, on seven minutes, opened the Red Hughs account with his side's first white flag, and towering midfielder Conor Gallagher hit a two-point free at the end of the first quarter.

With Red Hughs’ bustling full forward Calvin Bradley in the sin bin after a black card offence off the ball, Eoghan Bán McNelis, Cian Sweeney, and Caolan Molloy got in on the scoring act, while Browne kicked his second point for Red Hughs to send Ardara in 2-6 to 0-4 in front at the halfway mark.

Ardara also posted eight wides to Red Hughs’ one in the opening 30 minutes. 

With Liam Carlin Browne and Calvin Bradley stepping up after the half-time changeover, Red Hughs, thanks to two Browne points and a super Bradley goal, trimmed the Ardara lead to four points. 

Bradley burst his way through a number of defenders from way out the field to rattle the roof of Cian McConnell’s net for a brilliant individual three-point score. 

Four points was as close as Red Hughs got as Ardara stepped up again and reeled off six points without reply, courtesy of a Cian McConnell two-point free, one each from Eoghan Bán and Kevin Whyte, and two from play from the impressive Caolan Molloy, to lead 2-13 to 1-6 with the clock ticking.

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Jack Gillespie, with a close-in free, and Conor Gallagher from a two-point free, brought the curtain down on the Red Hughs scoring before Charlie Bennett raced up from the back to land the game’s closing point. 

Bennett was Ardara’s ninth different scorer in the match as they deservedly claimed the two points.

Red Hugh scorers: Conor Gallagher 0-4, 2tpt, Calvin Bradley 1-0, Cathair Browne 0-3, Liam Carlin and Jack Gillespie (f) 0-1 each. 

Ardara scorers: Jamie Eliott 1-1, Shane Sweeney 1-0, Eoghan Bán McNelis 0-3,2f, Caolan Molloy 0-3, Cian McConnell 0-2,tptf, Danny Walsh 0-2, Cian Sweeney, Kevin Whyte, and Charlie Bennett  0-1 each.

Red Hughs; Luke Kelly; James Gallagher, Jason Gallagher, Conor Gallen; Shane Gallagher, Darragh McMenamin, Gareth McGill; James Doherty, Conor Gallagher; Liam Carlin, Aidan Gallen, Pauric McMenamin; Caolan McClintock, Calvin Bradley, Cathair Browne.

Subs: Jack Gillespie for A Gallen (40); Riley Stewart for McClintock (55); Cathal Doherty for McGill (60).  

Ardara: Cian McConnell; Adam McGill, Joe Melly, Charlie Bennett; Kevin Whyte, Paddy McGrath, Danny Walsh; Eoghan Gallagher, John Ross Molloy; Caolan Molloy, Eoghan Bán McNelis, Jamie Elliot; Cian Sweeney, Cian McCabe, Shane Sweeney.

Subs: Josh Molloy for Elliot (47); Darren McHugh for Sweeney, Joe Kitterick for K Whyte (54).