DALY LEADS CHARGE Donard-The Glen take major step with AGB scalp
at Aughrim off his left.
A long, meandering run from Wicklow defender Ciaran Hyland ended in him squeezing the ball over Colm Toomey’s crossbar and a Cormac O’Sé free following Cal Kelly’s missed penalty gave AGB a 0-03 to 0-01 lead.
A foul on Alan Daly gave Ray Halloran a chance of a point from a free after 10 minutes and Harry Mangan dropped over a beauty to level matters shortly afterwards at 0-03 apiece.
A Brian Lennon free pushed Donard-The Glen ahead but AGB pressed on from here and were looking at a 0-07 to 0-04 half-time lead thanks to points from O’Sé (two frees), and Chris O’Brien when a high ball from Donard-The Glen was spilled right in front of goal and Ray Halloran pounced to punch home to the back of the AGB net to leave it 1-04 to 0-07 at the break.
The Arklow management introduced Stephen Hurley at the break and they had shifted Darragh Fitzgerald back to half-back in the first half to mind Conor Healy who was causing problems. The jury is out on this decision as it orbbed them of a serious attacker.
Alan Daly and Phillip Gleeson swapped points and O’Sé gave AGB the lead with another lovely score with 10 minutes on Eddie Leonard’s second half clock.
Conor Healy hit back for Donard-The Glen and Brian Lennon chipped in before Harry Mangan made it 1-08 to 0-09 for the west outfit.
It was nip and tuck stuff all over the field at this stage but AGB were starting to waste chances with long runs into the Donard defence which came to very little.
Hurley ponted and Daly climbed into the heavens to pluck a ball and fire over upon his return to terra firma. 1-09 to 0-10 after 19 minutes.
Phillip Gleeson and Daly raised white flags and Darragh Fitzgerald bombed over after collecting a short free from Gleeson and an O’Sé effort left just one between the sides at 1-11 to 0-13.
But Donard were far from finished. They defended like brutes and got ball out of defence very quickly and Conor Kelly put a bit of breathing space between the teams and then another spilled ball by AGB as they went in search of a score was regurgitated up the field and it was worked to Harry Mangan who skipped around a defender before popping it over the bar for a 1-13 to 0-13 victory for the Donard men.
Scorers – Donard-The Glen: Alan Daly 0-05; Harry Mangan 0-03; Brian Lennon 0-02 (1f); Ray Halloran 1-00; Liam Mullan 0-01; Conor Healy 0-01, Conor Kelly 0-01.
AGB: Cormac O’Sé 0-05 (3f); Phillip Gleeson 0-03 (1f); John P. Hurley 0-01, Ciaran Hyland 0-01; Chris O’Brien 0-01; Darragh Fitzgerald 0-01, Stephen Hurley 0-01.
Donard-The Glen: Colm Toomey; Kevin Osborne, Eoin Kelly, Shane Eager; Gerard Healy, Colin Osborne, Edward Flynn; Brian Lennon, John Hanbidge; Conor Healy, Alan Daly, Dermot Daly; Harry Mangan, Liam Mullan, Ray Halloran. Subs: Conor Kelly
AGB: Tommy Hurley; Ciaran Hyland, Seamus Tyrrell, Tomas Maher; Karl Kirwan, Dannie O’Hart, Gary Tyrrell; Cal Kelly, Chris O’Brien; Darragh Fitzgerald, Phillip Gleeson, Cormac Hyland; Cormac O Sé, Cathal Kelleher, John P. Hurley. Subs: Ross Hynes for G Tyrrell (26min); Stephen Hurley, Daire McBride, Paudi Kelleher.
Referee: Eddie Leonard