John Mac gets the win in Towney with Aodh Ruadh taking the points in opening league game

It was a bittersweet return for John McNulty to Towney as his new team Aodh Ruadh overturned a very understrength Kilcar to take the league points.

Kilcar 0-4
Aodh Ruadh 0-9

The conditions were very poor with driving rain and Aodh Ruadh had the elements in the first half and made good use of them.
David Dolan, who led the team out, also led by example, winning some great ball in the difficult conditions. They started without Nathan Boyle while among those missing through injury were Oisin Rooney. Philip Patton has taken a year out while Johnny Gethins is set for overseas duties with the army. Apart from David Dolan, Johnny Gallagher was a real stalwart at centre half-back and Eddie Lynch did a good marking job on Mark McHugh.
Kilcar were short a big number of players including county players Patrick McBrearty and Ryan McHugh while also missing were Eoin McHugh, Ryan McShane and Matthew McClean while Andrew McClean only came on for final 14 minutes.

Aodh Ruadh had three points on the board on seven minutes through Shane McGrath, Diarmaid McInerney (free) and David Dolan (free). Kilcar got only two points in the half, the first after Enda McFeely whistled a free off the ball in front of the posts and Mark McHugh did the honours.
Darren Drummond added another point for the visitors while Conor Patton denied Oran Doogan a goal. McHugh had the other Kilcar point also from a free while David Dolan and Eamon McGrath left it 0-6 to 0-2 at the break.
Mark McHugh cut the lead with a free nine minutes into the second half but the Kilcar attacks were laboured, although Peter Boyle was probably the busiest man on the field in the second half. He did well to stop a McHugh long-range free which evaded everyone on 45 minutes.
Daniel Lyons landed a very good point to cut the lead to two on 17 minutes and it looked as if Kilcar would bridge the gap.
But it was Aodh Ruadh who responded with two points in a couple of minutes from Nathan Boyle and Matt Gillespie to leave four in it with seven minutes left.
Peter Boyle was called on to make another great save from Ciaran McGinley before Niall Murray hit the final score to seal the win in the 59th minute.

Kilcar scorers: Mark McHugh 0-3,3f; Daniel Lyons 0-1.
Aodh Ruadh scorers: David Dolan 0-2,1f; Eamonn McGrath, Shane McGrath, Diarmaid McInerney (free), Darren Drummond, Matt Gillespie, Nathan Boyle, Niall Murray 0-1 each.

Kilcar pictured before the game

KILCAR: Kevin Campbell; Dylan O'Gara, Barry McGinley, Pauric Carr; Paddy McShane, Brian O'Donnell, Pauric McShane; Ciaran McGinley, Mark McHugh; Oran Doogan, Stephen McBrearty, Eoin Cormack; Conor Doherty, Darragh O'Donnell, Daniel Lyons. Subs: Andrew McClean for P McShane; Ryan O'Donnell for Cormack (both 49)

AODH RUADH: Peter Boyle; Jason Granaghan, Conor Patton, Colm Kelly; Michael McKenna, Johnny Gallagher, Kyle Murray; Eamonn McGrath, Shane McGrath; Diarmaid McInerney, David Dolan, Gary Carty; Eddie Lynch, Matt Gillespie, Darren Drummond. Subs: Nathan Boyle for Carty (ht); Niall Murray for Drummond (54); Ryan Granaghan for Gillespie (59).

REFEREE: Enda McFeely (St Mary's, Convoy)