Ardglass power past Kilclief

7 June 2017

ARDGLASS overpowered Kilclief with a masterful performance to lift the Donard Cup at Pairc Tomas Ruiseil, Downpatrick, on Friday night.

Ryan Kelly’s side were dominant for much of the game in nearly every sector and their penetrative full forward line posed a permanent threat with Neil Teggart (2-0), David Armstrong (1-0) and Daniel Smyth (0-8) doing most of the damage.

Underdogs Kilclief started the game with a spring in their step and held sway with young Callum Shields and Ruari Sharvin getting through a mountain of work in midfield. The game’s first score went to Kilclief’s Conal Magee in the second minute when he expertly split the posts with a superb score from out on the right.

The competent Daniel Smyth levelled matters in the fifth minute with a point from play before the same player converted a 21m free to ease Ardglass in front.

James McGrath restored parity in the 11th minute, but points from and Ciaran Sloan and Eoin King gave Kilclief a 0-4 to 0-2 lead after 13 minutes.

Kilclief were more than holding their own at this stage of the game, their younger players showing the necessary physicality to compete with an experienced Ardglass outfit.

Alas, all that changed in the 17th minute when Teggart was hauled to the ground as he worked out a shooting opportunity. The referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty and Teggart had no bother drilling the ball past a helpless Danny Sharvin to give his side a 1-2 to 0-4 lead.

Two Smyth frees extended Ardglass’ lead to three points by the 20th minute and there was no looking back for Kelly’s heroes after this.

Mind you, it all could have been so much different had Kilclief been awarded a penalty in the 23rd minute following a goalmouth scramble, but the decision harshly went against them and a free out was awarded.

This setback gave Kilclief a bit of momentum and points from Ruari Sharvin and Sloan left a single point in it again after 25 minutes, 0-6 to 1-4. Smyth, who was a real handful for the Kilclief defence, continued to punish Dee King’s side for any defensive discretions and with 29 minutes gone he gave his side a 1-5 to 0-6 lead.

The game then took an unexpected turn when Ardglass scythed their way through a benevolent full back line and Smyth put the ball on a plate for David Armstrong to make it 2-5 to 0-6 at the break.

Ardglass came out for the second half with all guns blazing and points from Ciaran Dorrian and Smyth extended their lead to seven points after only two minutes.

Kilclief answered with another point from Ruari Sharvin, but that man Smyth quickly cancelled that out with a well-taken free.

Smyth hadn’t finished yet and with 36 minutes gone he floated a delightful ball into Neil Teggart and despite having his back to goal, he somehow managed fist the ball into the net with an improvised finish to make it 3-8 to 0-7.

Not surprisingly, the game died a death after this with only three scores recorded in the remaining 24 minutes.

With 42 minutes gone Smyth put Ardglass 3-9 to 0-7 ahead and although Kilclief lost Conor Sloan to a straight red shortly after this, the game’s final two scores went to a brave Ben Dearg outfit, Ciaran Sloan and Louis McMullan on target.

In the final analysis, goals win games all day, every day and Ardglass had too much firepower in this department for Kilclief to handle.

Ardglass: M Armstrong, A Finnegan, E McEvoy, S P Halpin, C Armstrong, M Crangle, E Curran, S Rooney, C O’Shea, S Teggart, C Kearney, C Dorrian (0-1), D Armstrong (1-0, N Teggart (2-0), D Smyth (0-8). Subs: J Telford for C Kearney, D Kearney for Curran, G Rooney for Finnegan, C Flynn for S Teggart, A Mulhall for Smyth.

Kilclief: D Sharvin, C Shields, S Cultra, L McMullan (0-1), D Merron, B Fitzsimons, A McCann, R Sharvin (0-3), C Shields, C Magee (0-1), K Shields, E King (0-1), Ciaran Sloan (0-3), J McGrath (0-1), E Breen. Subs: C Hynds for Merron, Conor Sloan for Breen, R McErleane for Magee.

Ardglass 3-9

Kilclief 0-9

DONARD CUP FINAL

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