Ardara have been treated unfairly says veteran CJ Molloy

Ardara, despite losing by a late point to Four Masters on Sunday in Pearse Park, qualified for the preliminary quarter-final of the Michael Murphy Sports senior championship.

After the fourth round of games, Damian Devaney’s side finished in 11th place in the table and they will meet St Eunan’s next weekend with a place in the quarter-final draw the prize.

But after Sunday’s game, veteran full-forward, CJ Molloy, voiced strong criticism of the way the club has been treated in relation to their opening game against MacCumhaill’s (which they lost 3-15 to 0-13).

Molloy feels the club were hard done by over the playing of two players on the MacCumhaill’s team on the day. The issue was also raised at the recent Donegal Co Committee meeting by the Ardara club.

“I think we have Eunan’s in the next round. I think Ardara have been hard done by. The first game we played I believe there were two players that played against us who shouldn’t have played. One of them, the goalkeeper, didn’t play the following week against Killybegs and the Co Board put their hands up and said, ‘nothing we can do about it lads, keep it moving’,” said CJ Molloy.

“And then there was another player who supposedly played in America. I have a really hard time with that, especially myself being from New York and the amount of times I have been asked to play over there and I never did because I knew the rules and the consequences for my club, Ardara.

“But it seems it’s different rules for different folks.”

Meeting St Eunan’s in the preliminary quarter-final represents a really tough draw for Ardara and Molloy feels that the MacCumhaill’s 11 point defeat didn’t help their cause.

“We’re looking forward to  next week and we’ll give them a game. But the score difference from that first game, when we were given unfair treatment, it’s hard to take. 

“I think there should be some response from that and I haven’t seen anything in the media or I haven’t seen it talked about. The team (Ardara) has been hard done by. It’s a joke.”

Speaking about Sunday’s win over Four Masters, Molloy was very pleased with the fighting spirit shown by the Ardara side. Going into the game, Ardara were fighting for survival and needed a win or a draw or keep the margin of defeat to the minimum.

“We were aware of that (what we had to do) going into it and obviously the conditions today were very windy, so we knew it would be a game of two halves.

“They (Four Masters) are a young, fit, strong coming team and we were well aware of everything that they had. They really put it up to us when we had the breeze which we weren’t fully expecting. I think we showed very good character going down to 14 men and staying in the game. We were very dogged.

“The big men stood up, as usual - Classon, McGrath, Shane Mooney, Charlie Bennett, John Ross Molloy. He was unreal. If he had got that goal (in the second half), it would have been a different game, different result.

“We all know what Classon’s about at this stage. He stood up when we needed him. He has been carrying a few knocks in the last few weeks. To see that performance from him was great to see.

“He’s not afraid of the big moments; he’s not afraid to carry. JR (John Ross Molloy) was  there too and young Darragh Hennigan too. A lot of men stood up when we were down to 14 men.”

Looking forward to next weekend’s clash with St Eunan’s, Molloy says they are under no illusion.

“If we can play like we did (today). Listen, we are under no illusions but we are a plucky team and we are a young team. A lot of people are talking about how young that Four Masters team is. But if you take myself, McGrath, Classon out of that team, we are as young as that Four Masters team.

“There is a team coming here and last year we avoided relegation too. So there is a wee bit of progress happening here in Ardara,” said Molloy, who said he was still enjoying his football.

“If you didn’t enjoy it you wouldn’t be at it, especially in that wind and rain. It’s fun playing with the cousins and that’s why you keep doing it.”