MacCumhaill's overcome Gallen injury to defeat Ardara in style

MacCumhaill's had 11 points to spare against Ardara in their first game of the SFC in Ballybofey, despite losing Oisin Gallen to injury and having Luke Gavigan red-carded.

Gary Wilson’s side led this encounter from beginning to end and it was an attacking display of some note, with Joel Bradley Walsh taking responsibility with seven points and Jamie Keegan and Cian Mulligan also scoring goals. Ardara, well-beaten, saw Niall McCrossan score seven times. 

The hosts got off to a blistering start in this Championship opener, racing into an early five-point lead. Gallen’s afternoon lasted only three minutes, coming off injured, but it was enough time for him to score an early goal.

The Donegal full-forward showed great skill to create an opening before slipping the ball into the corner of the net. This was closely followed by two scores through Bradley Walsh and Jamie Keegan to give them the lead of 1-2 to 0-0.

The visitors got off the mark on five minutes, with Paddy McGrath finding the white flag. Kevin McCormack and CJ Molloy traded scores before the Twin-Town’s outfit found goal number two. 

Keegan burst through the heart of the Ardara defence before firing the ball past Paddy Gallagher. Bradley Walsh soon added his second of the contest to extend the lead to eight on the quarter hour mark. 

The Kentucky residents responded well to this setback, however, finding back-to-back points courtesy of McCrossan and Johnny McHugh to reduce the arrears to six. 

McCrossan and Bradley Walsh displayed excellent free-taking ability in the next period of the game, exchanging two placed balls each. 

MacCumhaills midfielder Chad McSorley slotted the ball between the posts in the closing stages of the opening stanza to leave the hosts seven ahead at the break. 

The second half commenced with a point for either side courtesy of the two sharpshooters, Bradley Walsh and McCrossan.  On 40 minutes, Ardara were handed a lifeline back into the game when a red card was flashed in the direction of  Gavigan by referee Connie Doherty.

The reduction to 14 men had no major bearing on the contest though and the next six scores were shared three apiece with Niall McCrossan (2) and John Ross Molloy pointing for Damien Devaney’s side and Conor McGinty (2) and Joel Bradley Walsh finding the target for the men in white and green. 

With 20 minutes left on the clock, any hopes of an Ardara comeback were washed away as MacCumhaills saw the green flag raised for a third time. Conor McGinty did well to play Mulligan through on goal and the corner-back slid the ball low beneath Paddy Gallagher to increase the advantage to 11. 

The closing stages of the encounter was very much blow for blow, with McGinty, McSorley, Bradley Walsh and McCormack finding range for Wilson’s outfit while McCrossan (2), Mooney and KJ Molloy pointed for Ardara.

MacCumhaills scorers: Joel Bradley Walsh 0-7, 0-3f; Jamie Keegan 1-1; Oisin Gallen 1-0; Cian Mulligan 1-0; Conor McGinty 0-3; Kevin McCormack 0-2; Chad McSorley 0-2. 
Ardara scorers: Niall McCrossan 0-7,0-4f,0-1 45’; Paddy McGrath 0-1; CJ Molloy 0-1,0-1f; Johnny McHugh 0-1; John Ross Molloy 0-1; KJ Molloy 0-1; Darragh Hennigan 0-1. 

MacCumhaill’s: Eoin Gallen; Cian Mulligan, Steven O’Reilly, Andrew McCloskey; Fintan Griffin, Luke Gavigan, Sean Breen; Chad McSorley, Gavin Gallagher; Joel Bradley Walsh, Jamie Keegan, Shaun McMenamin; Conor McGinty, Oisin Gallen, Kevin McCormack.  Subs: Jack Duffy for Gallen (4), Aaron Gillooley for Breen (51). 
Ardara: Paddy Gallagher; Charlie Bennett, Shane Whyte, Shane Mooney; Danny Walsh, Paddy McGrath, Darragh Hennigan; John Ross Molloy, Johnny McHugh; Cailum Malley, Karl Joseph Molloy, Cian Sweeney; Paul Walsh, CJ Molloy, Niall McCrossan.  Subs: Jamie Elliott for Sweeney (52), Oisin O’Donnell for Mooney (55). 
Referee: Connie Doherty (Naomh Conaill).