Naomh Conaill into U-21A semi-final after win over Aodh Ruadh

Naomh Conaill booked their place in the semi-final of the U-21A Championship with a win over Aodh Ruadh in Fr Tierney Park.

Aodh Ruadh 2-7  Naomh Conaill 0-15

Thanks to some great point taking from Danny Brown, Shea Malone, Tiarnan Ward and Daniel Gildea, Naomh Conaill had too much for the home side.

Aodh Ruadh did stage a comeback in the second half with a good Cian Rooney goal but Naomh Conaill responded brilliantly to pull away again.

The win means they will go straight through to the U-21A semi-final along with Gaoth Dobhair while Aodh Ruadh will play Glenswilly in the quarter-final. The other quarter-final in the A competition will see Four Masters play Termon

Naomh Conaill, minus young starlet Finbarr Roarty, were  very lively up front from  the first whistle with Danny Brown and Daniel Gildea particularly to the fore.

Brown had the scoreboard ticking on two minutes and he won a free for Tiarnan Ward to point a minute later.

Jack Gallagher got Aodh Ruadh on the board after a good pass from Matt Gillespie but Brown, Daniel Gildea and Shea Malone had Naomh Conaill 0-5 to 0-1 ahead on 10minutes

Cian Rooney and Jack Gallagher points in quick succession to cut the lead but Naomh Conaill had opened the gap to 0-8 to 0-3 by the 21st minute with points from Ward, Shea Malone and Daniel Gildea.

Aodh Ruadh didn’t avail of a 30m free` but they got another chance minutes later and Jack Gallagher tapped over.

Half-time score: Aodh Ruadh 0-4, Naomh Conaill 0-8.

Tiarnan Ward had the winners six ahead inside four minutes of the restart with points from a free and play. Cian Rooney replied from a free and Matt Gillespie added a good point from play but Daniel Gildea responded.

Then came the score that Aodh Ruadh needed, a goal from Cian Rooney, who did well after receiving the ball near the sideline, to scythe through and fire low.

Danny Brown had a half goal chance at the other end and Cian Rooney was almost in again for Aodh Ruadh but his effort went just wide.

Then another Cian Rooney point had the margin down to the minimum with 10 minutes left.

Shea Malone finished a very good point for Naomh Conaill as the game became very close and Danny Brown and Joe Shankey added good points to put Naomh Conaill on their way.

Shea Malone added  another quality score just to underline the great response from Naomh Conaill to the Aodh Ruadh surge.

Aodh Ruadh did get a goal in added time from Jack Gallagher but it was not enough

Aodh  Ruadh scorers: Cian Rooney 1-3,1f; Jack Gallagher 1-3,1f;  Matt Gillespie 0-1.

Naomh Conaill scorers: Tiarnan Ward (2f), Shea Malone 0-4 each; Daniel Gildea, Danny Brown 0-3 each; Joseph Shankey 0-1.

Aodh Ruadh: Aaron Cullen; Mitch McLaughlin, Kyle Murray, Aidan Sweeny; James Gallagher, Mark McGlynn, Senan Rooney; Colm McGloin, Matt Gillespie; Eoghan Kelly, Darragh Dolan, Harry Howarth; Cian McKenna, Cian Rooney, Jack Gallagher.

Subs: James Monaghan and James Ward for Harry Howarth and Cian McKenna (both 38)

Naomh Conaill: Dillon McGlynn; Oran McCallig,  Mark  Campbell, Aidan Gilroy; Joseph Shankey, Conor Roarty, Oran Doherty; Neil Francis Boyle, Mark McDevitt; Daniel Gildea, Tiarnan Ward, Conor Gildea; Danny Brown, Jack Boyle, Shea Malone.

Subs: Conan Brannigan for J  Boyle; Jackie Chan for O McCallig; Adam Molloy for C Roarty; Sean Doherty for Gilroy.

Referee: Marc Brown (Four Masters)