Perfect start to championship campaign
Intermediate Championship Group B
14 May 2016
Cloich Cheann Fhaola 2-11
Aodh Ruadh 4-8
Páirc Naomh Fhionnain.
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Aodh Ruadh scored a notable win in the first round of the intermediate championship, making the long trip up to Cloughaneely and coming away with a 4-8 to 2-11 victory.
They set the tempo right from the off when David Dolan played in Seamus Kane who cooly stroked home the first of the game's six goals.
Paul Sweeney opened the hosts account shortly after with a point, but Kane added to his tally with a point in response.
David Dolan then hit the post with a shot, but Kane was again quickest to react and pounced for another point.
The hosts pulled themselves back into things first with a short range free from their midfielder and then two from play by centre forward Darren Ferry.
They then took the initiative when Paul Sweeney rattled home a goal to make it 1-4 to 1-2. Cloughaneely passed up a couple of chances to extend their lead which they were to quickly regret. A shot by David McGurrin came back off the crossbar and was collected by Eamonn McGrath who rapped home to take Ballyshannon back into the lead.
The homesters were soon back on level terms though with a free by Darren Ferry which had brought up for indiscipline.
The sides swapped wides before the Cloughaneely wing forward popped over, only for David McGurrin to cancel that one out with a quality shot from a tight angle. That prompted a scoring spurt by the visitors which was to put them in the driving seat at the break.
David Dolan was at the heart of it. First he pointed to take the Ernesiders into the lead, then he went on a great driving run before laying off for David McGurrin to raise the green flag and then he added another point to take Aodh Ruadh's tally to 3-5.
Cloughaneely tagged on a couple of points before the break from their influential centre forward Ferry and Martin McGuire to leave them sitting at 1-8 at the turnover and an enthralling second half in prospect.
The hosts instantly restored parity on the resumption with Ciaran McFadden hitting the bottom corner with a great strike. Martin McGuire then added a point to take them back into the lead as the momentum tilted once again.
Aodh Ruadh were still creating chances, but they had a couple of misses before Dolan tied things up once again with a point from play after 39 minutes.
Almost immediately after Diarmaid McInerney was pulled down going through on goal. He dusted himself down before coolly slotting the resultant spot kick into the bottom corner after sending the keeper the wrong way.
That gave the visitors a three point cushion. Cloughaneely worked hard to claw it back. However points from Darren McGeever and John McGarvey were to be as good as it got. Their midfielder went wide with an effort to make it a draw game and Aodh Ruadh added points from David Dolan and Diarmaid McInerney to secure a fine victory for the Ernesiders.
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| Teams |
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Aodh Ruadh Peter Boyle; Michael Ward, Damian Cleary, Callum O'Halloran; Niall Harley, Colm Kelly, Paddy Gillespie; Conor Patton, Eamonn McGrath (1-0); David McGurrin (1-1), Diarmaid McInerney (1-1, 1pen), Nathan Boyle; Philip Patton, David Dolan (0-4), Seamus Kane (1-2). Subs: Shane McGrath for Michael Ward; Jason Granaghan for Philip Patton. |
| Referee: Martin Coll |
Last modified: Monday, 1 June 2020 at 12:13pm