LAST YEAR’s Donegal SFC winners Naomh Conaill have an ominous early look having won their second outing of this year’s staging with little fuss in Ardara.
Ardara 0-5 Naomh Conaill 0-18
Martin Regan’s team followed up their 3-20 to 0-6 win over Milford with a 13-point win at Pearse Park, with Eoghan McGettigan the star of the show with eight points – six of which came from play and one marked effort. Kevin Whyte was given a straight red in stoppage time.
Ciaran Thompson and McGettigan took the early initiative for the visitors with a couple of points apiece to establish a 0-4 to 0-0 lead. That might’ve been even more had it not been for five Naomh Conaill wides in the first quarter, while Matthew McGlynn got down well to save from Jeaic Mac Ceallbhuí on 13 minutes.
Ardara’s best opportunity of the first quarter fell to Stefan Boyle, who saw Stephen McGrath save his shot at goal, following a give and go with Gareth Concarr.
Ultan Doherty, Jeaic Mac Ceallbhuí and Eunan Doherty increaded the lead to seven before Ardara even struck a wide, which they did on 23 minutes. Four minutes later Gareth Concarr finally opened the locals’ account.
However, Eoghan McGettigan finished out the half for Naomh Conaill with three fine points from play but tot his total up to five from play and a half-time advantage of 0-10 to 0-2.
Points from Boyle and Callum Melly, as well as McGlynn’s save with his legs to prevent a Eunan Doherty goal, did give Ardara some sort of ember of light at the start of the second half.
Points at the other end, though, scores from Charles McGuinness, Ciaran Thompson, Mac Ceallbhuí and Eunan Doherty made it 0-14 to 0-4 with 10 to play with Ardara losing John Ross Molloy to a black card.
A point on the turn from McGettigan completed to half-dozen before the same player marked inside for seven. Anthony Thompson completed the scoring.
Ardara: Matthew McGlynn; Joe Melly, Shane Whyte, Matthew Sweeney; Ryan Malley, Paddy McGrath, Johnny McHugh; Brian Whyte, John Ross Molloy; Kevin Whyte, Tony Harkin, Callum Melly (0-1); Lorcan O’Donnell, Stefan Boyle (0-2), Gareth Concarr (0-1). Subs: CJ Molloy and Danny Walsh for Melly and Concarr (41), Johnny Sweeney for B Whyte (45), Jack Brennan for L O’Donnell (51), Malley for S Boyle (59)
Naomh Conaill: Stephen McGrath; Ultan Doherty (0-1), AJ Gallagher, Kevin McGettigan; Ethan O’Donnell, Anthony Thompson (0-1), Eoin Waide; Ciaran Thompson (0-3, 1f), Nathan Byrne; Eunan Doherty (0-2), Eoghan McGettigan (0-8, 1f 1m), Marty Boyle; Seamus Corcoran, Charles McGuinness (0-1, 1f), Jeaic Mac Ceallbhuí (0-2). Subs: Odhran Doherty for Waide (half-time), Jason Campbell for U Doherty (42), Ciaran Brennan for N Byrne (47), Jack Brennan for L O’Donnell (51), Keelan McGill for Corcoran (53)
Referee: Shaun McLaughlin (Malin)
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