Heartbreak for Aodh Ruadh in Inishowen
RTE Raidio na Gaeltachta senior football championship - First round, second leg.
27 August 2006
Malin 0-6
Aodh Ruadh 0-5
Sean Perry reports
Aodh Ruadh exited the Donegal senior football championship at the first hurdle in a dreadfully disappointing game deep in Inishowen on Sunday afternoon in a game which promised much but delivered little.
Take nothing away from Malin, in only their second season at senior championship level, they find themselves playing in the league's top flight and having been narrowly beaten by eventual champions, Naomh Conall last year, they built on their surprise first leg win in Ballyshannon six weeks ago, to take a big scalp on their home turf this afternoon.
It was a physical contest, the referee was kept on his toes from the off, both sides eager to show their willingness to battle in all quarters.
39 year old Aodh Ruadh full-forward, Val Murray was his sides sharpest target man early on, indeed Murray accounted for his side's entire first half tally of three points, the Inishowen club had a point more on the board, with the three Kelly brothers and county minor, Declan Walsh leading the charge.
Murray was denied with a goalbound effort in stoppage time at the end of the first half, it took a great save from Declan Lafferty to deny him in a move involving half-back, Michael Gurn.
The second half produced more of the same, in spite of lining out at corner forward, former county player, Niall McCready was deployed in front of his own full back line, the end result was a low-scoring war of attrition.
Having been beaten in the first leg six weeks ago, Aodh Ruadh simply had to win and in spite of copious amount of possession in the second half, they failed to find the target on a regular basis. The sides were level at five points each in stoppage time, Anthony Kelly clipped over the winner from an acutely angled free kick to send the Malin men in ecstasy, Aodh Ruadh's Seamus Kane received his marching orders for two yellows late on to compound the Ballyshannon club's misery.
Malin will face either Gweedore or Dungloe in the next round, Four Masters meet Ardara, Kilcar play St Eunans or Glenfin while St Michaels or Glenswilly meet champions Naomh Conall or Killybegs in the fourth quarter-final following the draw this afternoon.
| Vital Statistics |
|---|
| Teams |
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Aodh Ruadh K O'Brien; J Gallagher, M Gallagher, P O'Reilly; C Whoriskey, T McPhelim, M Gurn; S Ward, B Ward; S Kane (0-1), M Ward, B Roper; Shane Ward, V Murray (0-3, 2 frees), N McCready. Substitutions P Buggy (0-1, 1 sideline) for Val Murray, M Lawless for Shane Ward, G Blake for P O'Reilly |
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Malin Declan Lafferty; C Byrne, P Lafferty, J McLaughlin; D Green, J.M. McLaughlin, D Harkin; A Kelly (0-2, 1 free), P Kelly; D Ward, B McGonigle, S Kelly (0-1); Michael Byrne (0-1), M Lafferty (0-1), D Walsh (0-1). Substitutions Danny Lafferty for M Byrne, M Byrne for B McGonigle |
| Referee |
| Robbie O'Donnell (Naomh Mhuire) |
Report Filed: 29 August 2006