Ardara beat Malin to retain Senior Championship Status

Ardara staged a remarkable second-half comeback from nine points down to beat Malin in Convoy and retain their senior status for next year.         The comeback was led by  to the brilliance of Lorcan O Donnell who scored seven points from play ,  Subs Stefan Boyle 0-03 and Danny Walsh’s vital goal. Three goals in the opening ten minutes got this game off to a cracking start as underdogs Malin raised to a 2-04 to 1-01 lead by the fifteeth minute . Paul McLaughlin pointed in the second minute and then Josh Conlon pounced on an error by Ciaran Gildea to shot to the net . A minute later Ardara hit back when Robbie Adair burst through and set-up Johnny Herron to palm to the net .  Gareth Concarr pointed to level it in the ninth minute.                                            However back came Malin a minute later goaled again , and again Josh Conlon pounced on poor defending to blast home , 2-01 to 1-01.  Conlon , Dan McDaid and Christopher McLaughlin all pointed from play in quick succession to push the lead out to seven and Malin in control .                                                             John Ross Molloy shot wide after creating a good chance for himself in the 18th minute but Ardara’s only other score of the half was a Paul Watters free. Ciaran Doherty and Paul McLaughlin’s free added Malin points to leave nine points in it at the break and Ardara with it all to do at 2-06 to 1-02 behind. Charlie Collins reports from Convoy.  Lorcan O Donnell had an early goal chance in the second-half but shot over the bar and two minutes later disaster for Ardara when Brendan Boyle let Paul McLaughlin’s free through his hands into the net , 3-06 to 1-03 .                               It looked over but Ardara had other ideas and began a remarkable comeback.     Johnny Sweeney pointed ,  Lorcan O Donnell scored three Brillant points from play and sub Stefan Boyle got his first and when they scrambled in a goal after good work by another sub Danny Walsh there was just one point in it , 3-06 to 2-08 .                                                                                                                                       Christy McLaughlin pointed a free but the super Lorcan O Donnell added two quick points from play and the teams were level 3-07 to 2-10 .                                   Stefan Boyle , John Ross Molloy and Boyle again put Ardara three in front , Paul McLaughlin pointed a Malin free but fittingly  Lorcan O Donnell  scored his 7th point of a Brillant second=half performance to complete that incredible comeback and keep Ardara in the Senior Championship next year.                    ARDARA; Ciarán Gildea, Declan Gavigan , Matthew Maher , Joe Melly , Johnny Herron ( 1-00 ),  John Ross Molloy ( 0-01 ) , Lorcan O Donnell ( 0-07 ) , Conor Classon  , Robbie Adair, Paul Watters ( 0-01f )  , Thomas Boyle ,  Kevin Whyte , Gareth Concarr ( 0-01 ), Brendan Boyle , Johnny Sweeney ( 0-01 ).                                                                                                              SUBS ;  Danny Walsh ( 1-00 )  for Whyte ( h/t ),  Stefan Boyle ( 0-03 /2f’s ) for Watters ( 43mins ).                                                                                                                         MALIN ; Darragh McLaughlin , Conor McColgan , Conor Farren , Charlie Byrne , Stephen McLaughlin , Damian Harkin, Sean Byrne , Ciaran Doherty ( 0-01 ), Kieran McColgan ,  Oisin McGonagle , Christy McLaughlin ( 0-02 ),  Dan McDaid ( 0-01 ), , Sean O Neill ,Paul McLaughlin ( 1 -03 f’s ) , Josh Conlon ( 2-01 ).                                                                                           SUBS ;  Christy Doherty for Conor McColgan ( 25mins ),                                   Referee ;  Val Murray .