Four Masters easily account for Ardara in Donegal Town

High-flying Four Masters nailed another impressive two points to the All-County League Division 2 board with a comfortable eight-point home win over Ardara on Sunday. 

A late scoring blitz of 1-2 from the visitors saved some face but, truth be told, Kevin Sinclair’s lads dominated this one throughout. By the break, the scoreboard already read 3-7 to 0-6 with Seanan Carr, twice, and Alex McCalmont bagging the goals. 

With five minutes to go, a twelve-point deficit existed but with Damien Devaney’s changes snatching a late haul of five, things didn’t look so quite lopsided at the full-time whistle. 

Ardara had got off to an encouraging enough opening when Matthew Sweeney powered through to kick the game's first point.

A cheap turnover from Ardara then presented the impressive Carr with the chance to counter and square it. A Karl Joseph Molloy mark on the wide right again propelled Ardara in front but Joe Leape immediately responded down the other side.

A Paul Walsh free again pushed the Pearse Park men to the fore but from that moment on, nine minutes to be exact, Masters took firm control.

Carr – such a thorn in Ardrara's side throughout – left chaperone Charlie Bennett for dust out wide before cutting in and arrowing to the back of the net. Patrick Reid was then brought down inside the area allowing Carr to roll home a second Masters maximum.

On 13 minutes, another Molloy free left it 2-2 to 0-4. The crossbar then saved Ardara from a third three-pointer concession as Carr let rip.  But on the quarter hour mark, the same player lobbed over a free to increase the gap to five.

A third green flag was soon raised however as McCalmont sauntered in and drilled to the bottom right corner of the net. 

Ardara's lonely threat in the final third, Molloy, another that shone on the day, nailed a mark but with Carr and Faulkner registering, 3-5 led 0-5 four minutes out from the midpoint.

A more direct approach from Ardara was then successful as CJ Molloy won possession close to goal allowing Kevin Whyte to gain a free which Karl Joseph Molloy duly converted.

McCalmont seemed to land a second right between the posts but the referee in charge, Shane Murrin, somehow felt it hadn't hit the desired target.

Still, with Caolan Loughney and Carr posting before the short whistle, Masters still took a ten-point lead with them back to the changing rooms.

Senan Quinn and McCalmont got Masters going again on the resumption while usual suspect Molloy opened Ardara’s second-half account from a free. Leape, Conor Reid and Faulkner brought the hosts out to 3-12 shy of the three-quarter hour mark.

Ardara matched that with a triple point spurt of their own as Molloy, from play and from a free, as well as Kyle McHugh sailed over. 

Carr and McCalmont fired back while Kevin Whyte and another Molloy free left it 3-14 to 0-12 on 55 minutes. 

Before the end, Faulkner and Reid would bring the scoring curtain down for Masters while a fortuitous McHugh goal as well as late overs from Molloy and Whyte ended the afternoon for Ardara. 

Four Masters scorers: Seanan Carr 2-4,1f; Alex McCalmont 1-2; Killian Faulkner 0-4,1f; Joe Leape 0-3; Conor Reid 0-2; Seanan Quinn 0-1

Ardara scorers: Karl Joseph Molloy 0-9,2m,4f; Kyle McHugh 1-1; Paul Walsh 0-1,1f; Kevin Whyte 0-2; Matthew Sweeney 0-1. 

Four Masters: Ryan Haughey; Aidan McHugh, Dylan Kennedy; Brian Fegan; Aaron McCrea, Caolan Loughney, David Monaghan; Oisin Reid, Conor Reid; Joe Leape, Senan Quinn, Patrick Reid; Killian Faulkner, Seanan Carr, Alex McCalmont.

Subs: Callum McCrea for C Reid (45), Jamie Crawford for S Quinn (50), Conor Meehan for P Reid (53); Oisin Doherty for S Carr (56).

Ardara: Gareth Concarr; Charlie Bennett, Shane Whyte, Oisin O'Donnell; Danny Walsh, Nicholas Breslin, Paddy McGrath; Matthew Sweeney, John Ross Molloy; Kevin Whyte, Paul Walsh, Callum Malley; Karl Joseph Molloy, CJ Molloy, Kyle McHugh.

Subs: Eoghan Gallagher for O’Donnell (49), Paul Watters for P Walsh (50). 

Referee: Shane Murrin (Killybegs).