Ardara U-20s rally late to edge out Naomh Conaill

Naomh Conaill 1-12 Ardara 1-16

The hosts - minus senior star Shea Malone to a hamstring complaint - were just one off the coattails of the winners on 59 minutes thanks to a Tiernan Ward two-point free.

However, the visitors would land a real haymaker of their own in injury time when Eoghan Ban McNelis took aim from outside the arc, at a very wide vantage point - and somehow dropped it between the black spot.

And with Shane Sweeney following that up with the game’s final score, Ardara departed with a deserving four-point victory.

A fast opening from the hosts saw a brace of Daithi Molloy points as well as a Max Campbell clip propel Eoin Waide’s team three to the good inside seven minutes.

McNelis opened Ardara’s account soon after and with Shane Sweeney also splitting the posts, we had a one-point game ten minutes in.

Both sides then went close to finding the net as Danny Brown blazed wide at one end while Josh Malley had his almost point-blank drive turned behind brilliantly by Darragh Kennedy.

KJ Molloy, from the ‘45 and Brown traded scores before Shane Sweeney tied it up at 0-5 apiece five minutes out from the break.

Jamie Byrne again nudged the Boys in Blue in front but a strong finish, with big pressure being applied on Kennedy’s dispatches, seen Ardara nail the last four scores of the half to go in 9-6 in front.

Ban McNelis, from downtown, landed the opening pair of that salvo from outside the arc while Molloy and Kyle McHugh closed out the first-half scoring to leave it 0-9 to 0-6 at the break.

It took a last-ditch stop by Darragh Hennigan on his own goal line shortly after the resumption to deny Naomh Conaill dragging themselves level when Brown caught the visiting rearguard napping on a quickly taken free kick.

However, the same player did add the first point of the second period while Jack McGlynn, up from wing back, cut the gap to a single over.

Josh Malley intervened for Ardara but Naomh Conaill again came close to finding a goal before Ward eventually lofted over the crossbar.

Still, on 41 minutes a searing run from Max Campbell cut through the Ardara defensive third and his offload to Stephen McDevitt allowed the latter to finish to the net and push Naomh Conaill 1-9 to 0-10 ahead.

Cian Sweeney responded for the visitors before Naomh Conaill hit the butt of the post through Brown, who also had a penalty appeal waved away in the same passage when he clattered into Ardara netminder Cian McConnell.

In a real pendulum-swinging sort of period, Adrian Brennan and Don Early’s side went right down the other side and, with Cian Sweeney taking the chance and following a speculative Shane Sweeney effort right into the goal line, got there first to swat home a huge three-pointer.

Michael Mulreany followed that up with another two-pointer for the Pearse Park men to leave it 1-13 to 1-9 with ten to go.

But Ward, with a two-point free and one from close range, dragged his side back into within one nearing the 60-minute mark.

But with Ban McNelis and Shane Sweeney standing up and being counted in added time, Ardara got out the gate with the victory.

Naomh Conaill scorers: Tiernan Ward 0-4, 1tpf, 1f; Stephen McDevitt 1-1; Danny Brown and Daithi Molloy 0-2; Max Campbell, Jack McGlynn and Jamie Byrne 0-1 each.

Ardara scorers: Shane Sweeney 0-5, 2f; Eoghan Ban McNelis 0-5, 1tp, 1tpf; Michael Mulreany 0-2, 1tp; Cian Sweeney 1-1; Josh Malley and Kyle McHugh 0-1 each; KJ Molloy 0-1, 1’45.

Naomh Conaill: Darragh Kennedy; Niall Roarty, Thomas McDevitt, Peter McGlynn; Jack McGlynn, Daithi Moloy, Mark McDevitt; Feargus Campbell, Max Campbell; Jamie Byrne, Danny Brown, Conor Farrell; Stephen McDevitt, Tiarnan Ward, Conor Brannigan.

Subs:

Ardara: Cian McConnell; Adam McGill, Kian McCabe, Charlie Bennett; Callum Cassidy, Darragh Hennigan, Jack Elliott; Josh Malley, Eoghan Gallagher; Michael Mulreany, Eoghan McNelis, Cian Sweeney; Kyle McHugh, KJ Molloy, Shane Sweeny.

Subs: Logan Quinn for Farrell (40)

Referee: Val Murray (Aodh Ruadh)