Ruthless Aodh Ruadh ease past Carn
Senior Football Division 3
11 April 2014
Aodh Ruadh 4-19
Carndonagh 1-1
John Hughes reports from Father Tierney Park
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Aodh Ruadh accounted for the challenge of a makeshift Carndonagh team in unequivocal fashion in this one-sided encounter in Father Tierney Park. This Carn side have been hit by emigration and travelled with a very young side, only a small number of whom were regular senior starters. It showed, as the Inishowen men were forced to battle manfully to put a brave face on things
Ballyshannon had the benefit of a good breeze in the first half. They took a while to find their range, racking up a couple of misses from David McGurrin frees before good patience in the attack saw the ball recycled on to Eamonn McGrath who won the ball on the burst and drove over.
David McGurrin finally got off the mark with a free on the eighth minute. A minute later and Jamie McDonald won the ball well, burned off his marker and set up McGurrin whose shot flashed over when a goal might have been on. On the 12th minute McDonald was again provider showing good hands to win possession, David Dolan the beneficiary this time slotting over neatly off the trusty left to make it 0-4 to no score.
A couple of minutes later and Ronan McGurrin was lofting over a majestic score. As the game entered the second quarter Jamie McDonald got a deserved point, followed a minute later from free from David McGurrin.
The first major of the game arrived in the 21st minute. It was a beautiful move from the homesters which saw Donagh McIntyre involved twice as David Dolan sneaked into the parallelogram under the radar and was all on his own when the ball came to him. He finished deftly to make it 1-7 to the Ernesiders.
Gerard Doherty got Carndonagh's best chance of the first half from a placed ball but his effort was ruled wide, although it looked close thing. Aodh Ruadh showed no mercy though. From Peter Boyle's kick out they won the ball and a long ball was delivered into Anthony Boyle on the 40. Boyle took the ball well and he fed David McGurrin who had drifted off his shoulder. McGurrin then finished emphatically to the net.
The final action of the half saw Damien Cleary make a clever run and then locate McGurrin who finished with great polish to take his first half tally to 1-4. and make the half time scores 2-8 to 0-0.
Aodh Ruadh started as they left off in the first half, dominating possession before Jamie McDonald finished off a slick move with a nice point. A minute later David McGurrin pointed before Raymie Granaghan opened his account with a sumptuous effort of the outside of the right boot.
Peter Boyle was next to open his account, that one from a long range free, before Ronan McGurrin battered over a monster of a point from range. Ronan Drummond became the last of the front six to score on the 39th minute before Ronan McGurrin added further to Carndonagh's misery with another point, making it 2-15 to no score.
Anthony Boyle was next to notch a point, that one coming in the 42nd minute. As the game moved into the final quarter it only got worse for the visitors. With Aodh Ruadh totally dominant, Ronan McGurrin came on to the ball and advanced with menace before blasting a thunderbolt to the back of the net.
It was a long time coming, but in the 48th Tony McGinn slotted over Carndonagh's first score of the game after finally finding some space in Aodh Ruadh rearguard.
Ballyshannon weren't unduly perturbed by the development and were quickly back on the attack. Eamonn McGrath sent a ball in from midfield which Jamie McDonald rose for like a salmon before rounding his man and sending rasper to the roof of the net.
Shortly after McDonald's magnificent goal, Carndonagh were awarded a penalty. Substitute Barry Grant, adding some much needed experience to the Inish side on his introduction was calmness itself as he dispatched his spot kick to make it to 4-15 to 1-1
Normal service resumed after that with a series of three points from Jamie McDonald which put the seal on a man of the match performance from the forward.
The final score the game was a particular peach with Ryan Granaghan on the end of a complex sequence splitting the posts with another effort off the outside of the right boot.
Carndonagh will have been disappointed by the outcome, but they were a long way off an Aodh Ruadh side who were a lot slicker and more comfortable with each others pattern of play and deserve credit for making the most of their opportunities.
Jamie McDonald was man of the match with every ball in sticking to him. As well as scorng 1-5, all from play, he also set up a number of other scores. He stood out in a performance were every man in white and green had a game they could be very happy with.
| Vital Statistics |
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| Teams |
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Aodh Ruadh Peter Boyle (0-1f); Michael Ward, Ciron Whoriskey, Damien Cleary; Michael Dolan, Eamonn McGrath (0-1), Conor Patton; Ronan McGurrin (1-2), Donagh McIntyre; David Dolan (1-1), Anthony Boyle (0-2), Ronan Drummond (0-1); Ryan Granaghan (0-2), David McGurrin (1-5, 2f), Jamie McDonald (1-5). Substitutes: Kieran Keown for Michael Dolan: 36th minute; James O'Donnell for Ronan Drummond: 46 minutes; Johnny Gallagher for David Dolan: 50 minutes; Gary Carty, Ryan Patton. Wides: First half: 6; Second half: 5; Total: 11. |
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Burt Darragh O'Neill; Tiernan Coyne, Conor Doherty, Mark Diver; Cathal Kelly, Aaron McCarron, Ronan Hartin; Patrick McCallion, Dermot McGonigle; Thomas O'Sullivan, Eoghan Kelly, Christopher McCormick; Gerard Doherty, Tony McGinn (0-1), Fergal Doherty. Substitutes: John Taite for Mark Diver: 27th minute; Barry Grant (1-0 penalty) for Thomas O'Sullivan: 51 minutes; Sean McCreanor for Tony McGinn: 55 minutes. Wides: First half: 1; Second half: 2; Total: 3. |
| Referee:Michael McShane (Kilcar). |
Last modified: Thursday, 28 May 2020 at 4:54pm