Wogan and Bonner goals help Glenswilly to routine Donegal SFC victory over Ardara

In a competition that’s been pretty stagnant in recent times, of the potential feather-shavers Glenswilly look the most capable.

Glenswilly 2-15 Ardara 0-10

Pauric Bonner’s team opened their Donegal SFC with a routine 11-point win over Ardara, with goals from Shaun Wogan and teen Mark Bonner, as well five points from Michael Murphy and Garry McFadden popping over four.

Glenswilly opened brightly and led 0-5 to 0-1 initially, with Murphy joined on the scoresheet by McFadden, Wogan and Oisin Crawford, with Ardara’s opening point off the boot of Niall McCrossan.

The Pearse Park team played their way back to within a point with three successive scores - McCrossan again and two from Kevin Whyte to leave it 0-5 to 0-4, although on 23 minutes the hosts would strike the first serious blow.

It came from Wogan, who tucked home a rebound after Ardara goalkeeper Matthew McGlynn had saved well from Kealan Dunleavy, following a daring break forward by full-back Mark McAteer on 23 minutes.

Glenswilly went in at the break 1-7 to 0-5 in front, with further scores from Daithi Gildea and Dunleavy, with McCrosson expertly curling over a free at the other end.

A confidence-boosting All-County Football League Division 2 campaign has served Pauric Bonner’s team in good stead, where they lost only a dead-rubber to Buncrana, following 12 wins and before the final success against Naomh Columba.

After the break, Murphy hit two more points - one from play and then a mark - and although Karl Joesph Molloy and Charlie Bennett would register for the visitors - a comeback looked unlikely. Glenswilly get things going as the heavens opened, Wogan, Dunleavy, Murphy and a fantastic move finished off by McFadden made for a 1-13 to 0-7 lead.

Ardara did manage three more points, and McFadden would score the last three points for his team. Bonner, a championship debut, rattled home Glenswilly’s second goal a minute from time, with Wogan winning turnover possession to set up the chance.

Glenswilly scorers: Michael Murphy 0-5, 3f, 1m; Shaun Wogan 1-2; Gary McFadden 0-4; Mark Bonner 1-0; Kealan Dunleavy 0-2, 1m; Oisin Crawford and Daithi Gildea 0-1.
Ardara scorers: Niall McCrossan 0-4, 3f; Kevin Whyte 0-2; John Ross Molloy, Karl Joseph Molloy and Charlie Bennett 0-1; CJ Molloy 0-1, 1f.

Glenswilly: Kealan McFadden; Jake Kelly, Mark McAteer, Donal Gallagher; Shane McDaid, Jack Gallagher, Sean Collum; Caoimhin Marley, Shaun Wogan; Oisín Crawford, Kealan Dunleavy, Daithi Gildea; Gary McFadden, Michael Murphy, Caolan Kelly. Subs: Mark Bonner and Shane McDevitt for Gildea and Crawford (50).
Ardara: Matthew McGlynn; Charlie Bennett, John Ross Molloy, Joe Melly; Shane Mooney, Shane Whyte, Paddy McGrath, Tony Harkin, Conor Classon, Callum Mally, Karl Joseph Molloy, Kevin Whyte; Niall McCrossan, CJ Molloy, Gareth Concarr. Subs: Ronan Breslin, Paul Walsh, and Oisín O Donnell for Concarr, Melly and Bennett (50); Nicholas Maguire for Mooney (57).
Referee: Seamus McGonagle (Aodh Ruadh)