CHRISTY TOYE bagged 1-3 for St Michael’s as they left Pearse Park with the points against Ardara in the AllSportStore.com All-County Football League Division 1.
Ardara 1-6 St Michael’s 1-9
A first half goal from Toye set the Dunfanaghy-based side on their way. He collected a pass from Odhrán McFadden before cutting inside and driving past Cathal Gallagher on his left foot.
That came after seven minutes while Andrew Kelly posted two first half points – including the opening score of the game in the second minute – and Brian McLaughlin was also on the mark for the visitors.
Although both sides were missing a host of players, Ardara had plenty of possession but failed to penetrate their well-drilled guests initially. Their only two points of the first half came through Brendan McNelis and Lorcan O’Donnell.
[adrotate group=”68″]However, two minutes before half-time St Michael’s goalkeeper Mark Anthony McGinley went for a walk and tried to intercept Jack Brennan to the left of goal.
Brennan moved the ball to Kevin Breslin, who wad fouled by McGinley and Tomás Brennan tucked home the penalty with little fuss.
Even at that, St Michael’s – with the wind although using  strong running – were finding their scores easier to come by with Toye and McFadden popping over either side of a CJ Molloy score late in the half.
At the break, it was St Michael’s who were 1-5 to 1-3 on front.
Ardara started the second half well but their shooting let them down. They’d created four chances – and kicked them all wide – by the time St Michael’s got forward at all.
[adrotate group=”37″]But when St Michael’s did but something meaningful offensively, Ardara goalkeeper Cathal Gallagher saved well from Ciaran Gallagher – at the concession of a point.
Aaron Bennett slotted over a 45 but again st Michael’s were the more economical as Toye strode forward to effortlessly score.
McGinley in the St Michael’s goal saved well from CJ Molloy and at the other end, Ardara defended with their lives to prevent Andrew Kelly from scoring a goal.
[adrotate group=”68″] Kelly’s three efforts at goal were blocked in a 10-second spell by Nicolas Breslin first of all, then Nicolas Maguire before goalkeeper Cathal Gallagher saved.By the 58th minute, Ardara’s second half wide count had risen to seven and despite getting themselves into a number of promising positions bad finishing and good defending cost them.
Andrew Kelly had bother in the wind with a free from the left and then the right and with eight minutes to go St Michael’s were 1-7 to 1-5 in front after Brennan had maneuvered a good Ardara score.
A quickly-taken free from St Michael’s goalkeeper McGinley led to Brian McLaughlin’s point.
[adrotate group=”38″]Ardara’s second half wide count had risen to nine by the time McNelis put just two between them in the last minute.
However, Toye, from a Michael Langan pass, rounded off the three-point win to cap off a fine personal display.
Ardara: Cathal Gallagher; Nicolas Maguire, Nicolas Breslin, Kevin Breslin; Ryan Melly, Johnny Herron, Kevin Herron; Conor Classon, Eoin O’Donnell; Jack Brennan (0-1), Peter McHugh, CJ Molloy (0-1); Lorcan O’Donnell (0-1), Brendan McNelis (0-2), Tomás Boyle (1-0, pen). Subs: Aaron Bennett (0-1, 45) for Boyle (half-time), Simon Breslin for E O’Donnell (57)
St Michael’s: Mark Anthony McGinley; James Henry Alcorn, Michael Gallagher, Jamie McCarry; Liam Paul Ferry, Ciaran Gallagher (0-1), Christopher McElhinney; Michael Langan, Christy Toye (1-3); Ryan Langan, Andrew Kelly (0-2), Oisin Langan; Odhrán McFadden (0-1), Ciaran Kelly, Brian McLaughlin (0-2). Subs: Ruairà Friel for Alcorn (half-time), Stephen Coyle  for McFadden (40), Caolan McGee for C Kelly (58).
Referee: Seamus McGonigle (Aodh Ruadh).
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