Clinical Jocks overcome Mary’s in dire conditions

NAOMH MÁIRTÍN 4-6

ARDEE ST MARY’S 1-10

CLINICAL Naomh Máirtín got the edge on Ardee St Mary’s in Thursday night’s opener which was marred by apocalyptic-type weather conditions in Monasterboice.

While the pitch held up fairly impressively, the relentless rainfall aligned with a thick cloud of fog had spectators pondering whether the fixture should have gone ahead at all, though the quality on display was quite good in the circumstances.

St Mary’s were the better team in the first half but trailed by 3-1 to 1-5 at the interval despite league debutants TJ Doheny, Andy Murphy and Adam Gillespie combining for all but a point of the visitors’ tally.

Tom Gray – who would later go off with a sore-looking shoulder injury – stole in behind a Mary’s full-back line that was marked absent on six minutes before firing low past James McGillick for the opening goal.

Though, within 60 seconds, Gillespie wriggled free of contact and sent a stinging shot by Joe Gordon. And Cathal Murray’s men were 1-3 to 1-0 up at the end of the opening quarter only for Gray’s dropping shot to be attacked only by Evan Whelan who palmed to the net, levelling matters.

Doheny’s brace put Mary’s two in front but a hopeful effort slipped the grasp of McGillick at the other end and Craig Callanan pulled tellingly on the loose ball for a third major. The Jocks subsequently raised their first white flag through Gray’s well-directed effort.

Given the rivalry that exists between these clubs, there was a fair bit of niggle and the palpable tension threatened to boil over on numerous occasions. Kian Moran and Joe McGrane both got their marching orders for separate incidents shortly after the break but the Jocks fared better in the 14-a-side contest.

Val Leddy, Jack Lynch (mark), Callanan and Conor Whelan – with the pick of the bunch – had Declan McCoy’s side ahead by 3-5 to 1-7 with five minutes to go, and though Gavan Mooney later raised the loudest cheer of the night when splitting the posts from long range, Shane Matthews, Ciarán McConnon and the Gillespie brothers, Adam and Carl, kept the Jocks honest to the finish.

And had Gordon not been alert and able to beat away Cillian Keenan’s ground shot, Mary’s would have been level in time added on.

Chasing parity, ’keeper Gavin Douglas, introduced at the midway mark, pushed up on a Jocks kickout but when a ball slipped through the cover, Oisín Gray was in and he made no mistake to remove any uncertainty regarding the outcome. NAOMH MÁIRTÍN: Joe Gordon; Ben Callanan, Shane Morgan, Cian Sands; Evan Whelan 1-0, Seán Healy, Craig Callanan 1-1; Adam Booth, Val Leddy 0-1; Joe McGrane, Tom Gray 1-1, Paul Berrill; Conor Whelan 0-1, Jack Lynch 0-1 (1m), Bryan McQuillan. Subs: Paddy Usher for Gray (43), Gavan Mooney 0-1 for Berrill (45), Colm Egan for B Callanan (45), Oisín Gray 1-0 for Cian Sands (55).

ARDEE ST MARY’S: James McGillick; David Rooney, Karl Faulkner, Jay Crawley; Callum Noade, Kian Moran, Carl Gillespie 0-1 (1f); Evan Malone, Cillian Keenan; Dean Matthews, Shane Matthews 0-1, Andy Murphy 0-1; Adam Gillespie 1-1 (0-1f), Ronan Carroll 0-1, TJ Doheny 0-4 (4f). Subs: Ciarán McConnon 0-1 for Malone (14), Gavin Douglas for McGillick (HT), Noah Coyle for Noade (55), Darragh McCoy for D Matthews (58).

REFEREE: Ultan McElroy (Kilkerley Emmets).