Donard march into last eight

Ashford beaten by ten points

DONARD-THE GLEN ASHFORD 2-16 2-06

DONARD-THE Glen have ensured their passage into the Intermediate quarter-final with a 10-point victory over Ashford, though that margin of victory didn’t look likely at half time.

Indeed they were two points down at half-time but by the time Ashford scored in the second half, in the 44th minute, Donard had scored 1-03 to lead by four and take control.

The first half belonged to Aaron Nugent who gave Conor Kelly the run around and was involved in all of their first half 1-04 whereas he only touched the ball once in the second half.

Alan Tutty moved on to him late in the first half and was very effective.

By contrast, Alan Daly looked average in the first half only to score 1-03 in the second period as he took the game by the scruff of the neck.

The game was also characterised by both teams not taking their chances when they had period of domination.

Donard-The Glen started the game much better and Conor Healy was very much involved, scoring one point and getting fouled for a free.

For all of that, a couple of Ashford scores within 60 seconds levelled the match with their first real chances.

Donard-The Glen finished this little period with a Brian Lennon free for a one-point lead and then didn’t score for another 16 minutes.

It was all Ashford during this time, the ball rarely crossing the Ashford 45.

However, they could only muster together 1-01 when they should have scored more.

Nugent’s goal was a thing of beauty. He was out in front of Conor Kelly and having taken a moment to assess his options he just danced around Kelly before dispatching the ball past Mark Moore in the goal.

Donard finally awoke from their slumber, Harry Mangan with a point to make it 0-04 to 1-03. The teams traded a point each just before half-time and it was 1-04 to 0-05 as the teams went into the dressing room.

Ashford looked at this stage like they were the better team and able to cause a bit of an upset given the team’s early season form. However they simply didn’t emerge from the dressing room at all.

Harry Mangan opened the half with a free before Conor Healy got a very easy goal. Alan Daly played a ball from the 45 into space in around the D. There seemed to be very little intensity in the Ashford players going for the ball and while making a tackle. Healy ended up with the ball and he stuck it in the back of the net.

Daly and John Hanbidge added a point each to make it 1-08 to 1-04 and while four points isn’t insurmountable the Donard tails were up and it looked like they couldn’t be beaten.

When Brian Coen got Ashford’s first score of the second half in the 44th minute Donard responded straight away with three more points, Daly with two either side of sub Ray Halloran’s effort.

Coen and Lennon added a point each before Gavin Weir was fouled for a penalty for Ashford with ten minutes to go and give them a glimmer of hope. Graham Mooney made no mistake.

Donard were having none of it however and straight away Kevin Kealy had the ball over the Ashford bar again.

Daly and Halloran add another point each before Daly produced a finish for the ages for his goal.

That put nine points between the teams and Ray Halloran got the last point of the game as Donard marched into the quarter final where they are likely to come up against Dunlavin or Ballinacor.

For Ashford they join An Tochar, Kilmacanogue, Aughrim, one of Carnew or Stratford/Grangecon and one of Dunlavin or Ballinacor in the relegation play-off, though unless they perform terribly they shouldn’t worry too much about the drop back down.

Scorers – Donard: Alan Daly 1-04; Conor Healy 1-02; Brian Lennon (2f), Ray Halloran 0-03 each; Harry Mangan (1f) 0-02; John Hanbidge, Kevin Kealy 0-01 each.

Ashford: Aaron Nugent 1-01; Brian Coen (2f) 0-04; Graham Mooney 1-00 pen; Brendan Manning 0-1.

BALLYMANUS AUGHRIM 2-16 0-09

BALLYMANUS eased into the D’Arcy Sands Intermediate quarter-finals, with a comprehensive victory over near neighbours Aughrim on Saturday evening last.

Roan Lynch had the Billies up and running in the opening minute with a fine point.

Shane McGuckian fielded the kick-out and played a great ball into Conor Lambert who pointed to level the game with a blistering start.

Ballymanus lost Aidan Byrne with a split lip moments later and Jim Byrne was brought on as a blood sub.

Philip Coogan pointed as Ballymanus came flying out of the blocks early on.

The industrious Mark Kenny, now starting on the inside forward line due to Paddy (Moyne) Byrne’s absence due to an injury, landed a brace of points to put the Billies three up.

Robert Lambert fielded a mark and played a sublime pass into Pat Kavanagh whose shot on goal was cleared by Darragh O’Keefe out of danger.

Ballymanus won a line ball on the 65m line, and Darragh O’Keefe seemingly gained a good few metres taking the line ball and found Mark Kenny who shook the back of the net for the first major of the game.

The officials felt the full wrath of the Aughrim mentors over where the initial line ball was taken from. Roan Lynch tapped on another Under-17 Hurling - Avondale Parnells 1-19, Carnew Emmets 4-08; Michael Dwyers 4-22, Northern Gaels 1-1; Bray Emmets w/o, Luke O’Tooles scr Under-11 Football Group 2 - St Kevins 2-10, Dunlavin 8-07

Under-13 Football Group 3 - Kilcoole 4-5, Annacurra 4-3

Under-17 Football A Championship, Group 2 - St Nicholas 1-12, Bray Emmetts 0-07

Under 17 B Championship, Group 1 - Eire Og 2-05, Rathnew 4-11

Group 2 - An Tochar 1-05, Pearse Gaels 1-12

JUVENILE FIXTURES

Wednesday, August 16

Under-11 Football (Round 11)- Rathnew v An Tóchar (Ciaran Barnes); St Patricks v Éire Óg Greystones (Darragh Byrne) at 6-50 p.m.; Annacurra v Baltinglass (Christy O’Rourke); Blessington v AGB (Keith Peppard)

Under-11 Mini Festival - All games at 7-30 unless stated - Aughrim v Dunlavin (Brendan Furlong); Kiltegan v Avoca (Stephen Fagan); St Kevins v Shillelagh point for the Billies as they upped the tempo to close out the first quarter.

Shane McGuckian again won possession and soloed 40 metres up the field and found Conor Phelan who fed Conor Lambert who tagged on a point for Aughrim.

Roan Lynch tapped over another point in this defining period of the game for the Billies.

Ciaran Whelan won a mark and laid off to Roan Lynch, who turned goal bound 40 metres out in acres of space, goalie Brian Lynch advanced out off his line to close down his opponent, however Roan Lynch audaciously lobbed the keeper from 35 metres out to hit a screamer of a goal, oh boy does he love scoring cracking goals at this venue.

Robert Lambert broke the Billies momentum with a pointed free in the 20th minute.

Philip Coogan picked up a needless yellow for some words with the ref.

Ciaran Whelan landed two dead balls from the deck, over the bar for Ballymanus as they sensed blood.

Shane McGuckian added a long-range point for Aughrim but Kenny and Whelan each pointed as the half-time whistle sounded with the scoreboard reading 2-10 to 0-04 in favour off the Billies.

Ciaran Whelan added on another pointed free on the restart. Robert Lambert was battling valiantly for his Aughrim side and he bagged two pointed frees.

Padraig Byrne made a great run through the heart of the Aughrim defence and split the posts.

Ciaran Whelan added another point from a free before substitute Brendan Whelan sent over a long- Under-15 Football League Division 1 - Saint Patricks v Bray Emmets (Darragh Byrne) at 7.45 p.m.

Under-15 Football B Championship Group 2 - Tomacork v St Kevins (John Keenan); Blessington v An Tochar (Liam Cullen)

Under-15 C Football Group 3 - Pearse Gaels v Clan Na Gael (Referee: Ian Culbert); Michael Dwyers v St Hughs (Referee: Ciaran Fleming)

Thursday, August 17

Under-13 Football (Round 11) Group 1 - Rathnew v Baltinglass (Mick Owens)

Group 2 - St.Nicholas (2) v Michael Dwyers (Liam Cullen)

Group 3 - Newtown v Tinahely (Ian Culbert)

Friday, August 18

Under-15 A Football Championship Group 1 - Eire Óg v Tinahely (Anthony Nolan) range score for Ballymanus who were coasting at this stage.

A Conor Lambert point closed out the third quarter with the score reading 2-13 to 0-11.

Yet again, Robert Lambert pointed a free after Conor Lambert was fouled.

Both Padraig and Kevin Byrne each added on a point to finally kill of any hope of an Aughrim comeback.

Paul Murray landed the Billies’ final point in the 58th minute before Paddy Phelan closed out the scoring with a point in injury time.

Aughrim will go into a relegation battle as dark horses while Ballymanus will not be worried one bit who they meet next in this intriguing championship as we finally get down to the knock-out stages off both groups.

Scorers - Ballymanus: Roan Lynch 1-02, Padraig Byrne 1-02, Ciaran Whelan 0-04 (3f, 45), Mark Kenny 0-03, Kevin Byrne 0-02, Philip Coogan 0-01, Paul Murray 0-01, Brendan Whelan 0-01.

Aughrim: Robert Lambert 0-04 (4f), Conor Lambert 0-03, Paddy Phelan 0-01, Shane McGuckian 0-01. In Avondale Under-17 Football A Championship Group 1 ( Prov.) - Luke O’Tooles v Saint Patricks

Wednesday, August 23

Under-11 Hurling Group 1. All games at 7-15 p.m.

Bray Emmets v Michael Dwyers (Con O’Ceadaigh); Eire Óg v Carnew (Eugene Doherty); Aughrim v Arklow Rocks

Group 2 - Eire Óg v Avondale (Ciaran Manley); Tinahely v Kilcoole (Liam Keenan Snr); St Patricks v Kilmacanogue (Ciaran Gaskin); Western Gaels v Bray Emmetts (Jimmy Lawlor)

Under-15 Hurling Championship All Games at 7-15 p.m. - Northern Gaels v Bray Emmets (Ciaran Manley); Tomacork v Luke O’Tooles (Damien Byrne); Glenealy v Avondale Parnells (Matt Dowling) Under-11 Football - Kilbride/Lacken v Blessington (2) (Kevin Cullen)