Finnegan hits winning goal for Glenmuir
GLENMUIR United caused an upset in this Under-12 Premier clash, but materially it changed little in that Ardee are guaranteed to take third place in the standings.
Rather, the result was a boost to Glenmuir’s morale and a dent to the pride of the Deesiders who started the brighter and had more of the attacking play in the first half.
However, from far fewer attacking incursions the home side were far more clinical.
They scored from both their main opportunities, and might have added a third from the other dangerous attack that they mounted, and that’s what earned them the points.
If anything, Glenmuir were the more likely team in the second half to add to their total through the skilful play of Benjamin Dada, the smallest player on the field.
He twice came ever so close to scoring, having one effort disallowed for offside and being denied on another occasion when Ardee goalkeeper Sean Devanney tipped a goal-bound shot onto the post.
The home side repelled early pressure from Ardee to reply in the best possible manner, with Daniel Brogan chipping the ball over the Ardee goalkeeper from a tight angle near the endline when he was set free to the right of goal after six minutes.
Glenmuir netminder Oran Mulligan beat the speeding Matthew Kane in a chase to the ball inside the home box before United rocked the Deesiders with a second goal.
Dada got free inside the Ardee penalty box for the Deeside goalkeeper to deny him with a pointblank save, but the ball broke to Edward Finnegan to loft his shot into the net from a difficult position from the left of goal.
Two minutes later, in the 21st minute, Ardee hit back.
A high free kick from inside his half by Ryan Halpenny tempted Mulligan off his line, but he hesitated and that allowed the dangerous Kane, running into the box, to head it over him into the unguarded net.
Ardee had a close call when Finnegan closed in on a cross at the near post, only for his effort under pressure to go narrowly wide.
Dada produced a lovely piece of skill after the break, but Devaney did well to get a hand to his high shot to deflect it onto the post.
Mulligan then bravely denied Kane, and it was Ardee’s turn to breathe a big sigh of relief as the home side had the visitors’ defence in a terrible tangle as they broke free down the left. Devaney produced a great save from a close-range shot by Finnegan, and when Dada prodded home the loose ball the referee blew for offside.
Twice, Kane had opportunities to equalise as he broke through into the home box, but first he sliced a shot well wide, and then couldn’t direct a volley on target from in front of goal. GLENMUIR: Oran Mulligan, Favour Ihenge, Edward Finnegan, Steven Okeke, Conor Lee, Yadah Ugoh, Benjamin Dada, Liam O’Connor, Toheeb Agunbiade, Lamar Okonkwo, Oisin Woods, Daniel Brogan, Nathan Keenan, Robert Kilgallon, Vincent Adeyobi.
ARDEE: Sean Devaney Peter Reid, Ryan Halpenny, Matthew Kane, James Russell, David Magee, Oisin Lynch, David Clinton, Adam O’Reilly, Noah Coyle, Tadhg Kellett, Jack McKeever, Jamie O’Callaghan.