McGurrin's top ten sees Aodh Ruadh take derby spoils
Senior Football Division 3
12 October 2013
Naomh Bríd 0-13
Aodh Ruadh 1-15
John Hughes reports from Páirc Naomh Bríd
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A haul of 11 points off the boot of David McGurrin went a long way to sealing Aodh Ruadh's fifth victory in their last six games of the season.
However it was a win built on an assured midfield performance from Kerry Ryan and Conor Patton, not to mention some timely interventions from the full back line.
These neighbourly tussles are always tightly fought affairs and this proved no different, with only a 42nd minute goal from Brian Roper putting the first real daylight between the sides.
It was David McGurrin who was to make the impression on the scoreboard, notching over a free in the first minute. Pauric McDaid opened the Ballintra/Laghey outfit's account in the fourth minute with an answering placed ball effort.
McGurrin clipped over the first effort from play in the sixth minute, but Daragh Brogan slotted an instant response.
The next score was an excellent team move from Aodh Ruadh, starting with Ronan Drummond and featuring passes from Conor Patton and Brian Roper before Diarmaid McInerney got on the ball to slip over and edge the visitors back in front.
Roper was creator again in the 14th minute, this time winning the free for McGurrin to convert.
Naomh Bríd enjoyed a spell of pressure, but they were caught on the counter when Johnny Gethins got a relieving ball and fed Jamie McDonald who pointed well to put a goal in it with 20 minutes gone.
With the break in sight Ballintra set about clawing back the deficit, indeed they went on to claim the next four scores.
First Pauric McDaid converted a routine free in front of the posts, then seconds later Colin Rooney raided up from half back and hung up a high effort which Peter Boyle got a hand to, but couldn't stop going over the bar.
Another straight-forward free from McDaid leveled up matters at five points apiece in the 24th minute. Then a mix-up from an Aodh Ruadh free in the Naomh Bríd half saw the ball sped down the pitch and Declan McCafferty punishing the error with a fine point to take the homesters into the lead for the first time in the game with five minutes left in the half.
The closing moments of the half belonged to David McGurrin though. In the 28th minute he hit a majestic free from out on the right and followed in a minute later with an equally good effort from out on the right. Then as the game ticked into the 30th minute he pointed a lovely effort from play to send Aodh Ruadh in leading at the break on a half time scoreline of 0-8 to 0-6.
Naomh Bríd clearly were given something to think about in the dressing room at interval as they came out with all guns blazing. Declan McCafferty opened the second half scoring, lofting over from a decent distance after just a minute and then Sean Gormley leveled it up with an effort that sneaked just inside the post. Just another minute on and this time it was Creevy National School teacher Jamie Timoney venturing up from half back to hit the score which took Naomh Bríd back into the lead.
It fell to David McGurrin to fashion Aodh Ruadh's response. Another excellent placed ball effort in the 34th minute leveled the game and then a minute later McGurrin put Ballyshannon back in front with an well-taken score from play. McGurrin was proving unmarkable at this stage, roving out around half forward and midfield to forage for his own ball. He notched another point in the 38th minute to extend the visitors' lead.
The Aodh Ruadh defence were working well and it took a magnificent effort from Tom Gallagher in the 40th minute to get Ballintra back in on the scoring act. Then the industrious Gary McCafferty raided through for his second point of the day to level matters for the seventh time in the game.
However the game was entering its decisive phase and Aodh Ruadh were to be in the box seat by the end of it. In the 42nd minute Peter Boyle found Ciron Whoriskey with a kick-out and Whoriskey set off on a surging run the full length of the pitch with the tackles bouncing off him. On the 20 metre line he off-loaded to David McGurrin who quickly found Brian Roper in space and the Donegal legend showed he had lost none of his poacher's instinct to blast home a rasper of a shot. A minute later and Aodh Ruadh were four to the good, this time Christopher 'Spanny' Goan emulating the example of his defensive colleague to get up the pitch and arrow over a fine score to put four points between the sides for the first time in the game.
Gary McCafferty showed great leadership to send over a much needed point for the homesters a minute later and that score seemed to regalvanise Naomh Bríd. They had two great opportunities for goal as the game moved into the final quarter, but on both occasions Peter Boyle was equal to the efforts, producing brilliant acrobatic saves.
And then with nine minutes left Boyle made his first scoring contribution of the game, thumping over a long distance score to take the scoreline to 0-12 to 1-13. A minute later and Ronan Drummond and Brian Roper were combining to engineer and opening for David McGurrin who fisted over to put six between the sides.
With six minutes left Boyle was called up for a 45 which he duly thumped over to leave the visitors able to see out the closing moments in some comfort.
Naomh Bríd did manage to make slight inroads in the lead, Colin Rooney drilling over an impressive effort, but by that stage it was clear where the last points of the season for theses sides were going.
| Vital Statistics |
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| Teams |
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Naomh Bríd Stephen Nerney; Daniel Martin, Clint Walsh, Micky Quinn; Jamie Timoney (0-1), Colin Rooney (0-2), Gary McCafferty (0-2); Tom Gallagher (0-1), Ross Gallagher; Declan McCafferty (0-2), Sean Gormley (0-1), Darragh Brogan (0-1); Eoin Harron, Pauric McDaid (0-3f), Pauric Gormley. Substitutes: Pauric Brennan for Darragh Brogan: 26 minutes; Stephen Walls for Pauric Gormley: 36 minutes; Eoin McGarrigle for Gary McCafferty: 49 minutes; Stephen McDaid for Ross Gallagher: 50 minutes. Yellow cards: Gary McCafferty: 21 minutes; Sean Gormley, 28 minutes; Stephen Walls for Pauric Gormley: 36 minutes; Stephen McDaid for Ross Gallagher: 50 minutes. Wides: First half: 6; Second half: 5; Total: 11. Frees conceded: First half: 4; Second half: 4; Total: 8. |
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Aodh Ruadh Peter Boyle (0-2, 1f, 1 45); Christopher Goan (0-1), Ciron Whoriskey, Michael Ward; Eddie Lynch, Eamonn McGrath, Niall McCready; Conor Patton, Kerry Ryan; Ronan Drummond, Diarmaid McInerney (0-1), Johnny Gethins; Jamie McDonald (0-1), Brian Roper (1-0), David McGurrin (0-10, 5f). Substitutes: Michael 'Sticky' Ward for Diarmaid McInerney: 36 minutes; James Barron for Jamie McDonald: 56 minutes. Yellow card: Niall McCready: 57 minutes. Wides: First half: 5; Second half: 4; Total: 11. Frees conceded: First half: 4; Second half: 2; Total: 6. |
Last modified: Monday, 1 June 2020 at 1:11pm