Ardagh's attacking arrows fire down Killala
Ardagh’s Brendan Carr (No. 9) hammers home a goal against Killala during the Treanlaur Catering Mayo JFC tie in Ardagh last Sunday. Picture: David Farrell Photography
Ardagh made it two wins from two in the Mayo Junior Championship, with forward duo Tony Carey and James Carr both scoring 1-3 in an impressive display from the hosts.
The first quarter was tit-for-tat, and the sides were locked at 0-4 apiece. Three frees from Matthew Keane and one from play by Sean Gildea were countered by Tony Carey (two, one free), James Carr and Lee Traynor.
The second quarter saw the game explode into life and it was Killala who took the initiative. A two-point free from Keane put them back in front before Sean Walsh found the net on 20 minutes after great work by James McLoughlin and Gildea in the build-up.
Traynor and Walsh soon traded points, but Ardagh would outscore Killala 2-2 to 0-1 in the final six minutes of the half.
The first goal was a piece of individual brilliance from Carey which saw him race away from three Killala defenders before finding the net. Paddy Walsh then guided over a brilliant point before finding Brendan Carr with a clever ball, and the midfielder fired a rasper past the Killala goalkeeper to put Ardagh in front.
Traynor doubled their advantage from a free in the final action of the half as Ardagh led by two at the break, 2-7 to 1-8.
By the time Killala got their next point on the board through Sean Gildea on 39 minutes, Ardagh’s lead was at six. After Traynor and James Carr pointed the opening scores of the second half, Carr would then raise a green flag after palming into the net from close range, with Tony Carey the provider on this occasion.
Another Carey free made it a seven-point game with 20 minutes to go, but Killala were not going away. Two-point frees from Matthew Keane either side of a James Carr point left four between them with ten minutes to go and the visitors had a chance to make it a one-point game through Niall Joyce, but his effort on goal was superbly blocked by two Ardagh defenders.
At the other end, Killala goalkeeper Andrew Farrell denied Brendan Carr a second goal for the midfielder. It mattered little however, as Ardagh saw the game out relatively comfortably in the end, with Brendan Carr rounding off the scoring late on.
Scorers – Ardagh: Tony Carey (2f) and James Carr 1-0-3 each, Brendan Carr 1-0-1, Lee Traynor 0-0-4 (1f), Paddy Walsh 0-0-1.
Killala: Matthew Keane 0-3-3 (3tpf, 3f), Sean Walsh 1-0-1, Sean Gildea 0-0-3.
Ardagh: Gary Kenny; Declan O’Boyle, Joe Carr, Dean Martyn; Ruairi O’Boyle, Adam Foody, Adam Naughton; Sean Moore, Brendan Carr; Darach Gough, Tony Carey, Stephen Rochford; Lee Traynor, James Carr, Paddy Walsh. Subs: Gerard Haran (for Traynor 1-3 temp), Dylan Murphy (for Gough 38), John Cafferty (for B Carr 45-46 blood), J Cafferty (for Naughton 54).
Killala: Andrew Farrell; Michael Gough, Liam Maughan, Andrew Gallagher; Sean Walsh, Conor Gilvarry, Michael O’Hora; Raymond Murphy, Niall Joyce; Matthew Long, Kevin Walsh, James McLoughlin; Sean Gildea, Matthew Keane, Callum McDonnell. Subs: Michael Nealon (for Gough ht), Gavin Walsh (for Murphy 47), Cian Monaghan (for O’Hora 58).
REF: Barry McDonnell (Moy Davitts)
