ACFL Division 3
Ardoyne 3-15 Eire Og 3-13
Report & Pics: Brian McKee
A master-class from talisman Cormac Mullan ensured Ciceam Ard Eoin narrowly secured the league points at Fennell Park, weathering a ferocious second-half comeback from a resilient Éire Óg side in a thrilling encounter.
Ardoyne were dominant in the first half and found their rhythm from the throw-in.
Early driving runs from McKernan consistently sliced open the Éire Óg rearguard.
The breakthrough arrived courtesy of both the elements and individual skill. Mullan unleashed a high, searching ’45’ that caught the strong wind, bypassing visiting goalkeeper King to drop directly into the back of the net.
Éire Óg responded with their own touch of good fortune, as a speculative bouncing ball eluded the Ardoyne defence, allowing Dixon to pounce and fire past Hughes.
Ardoyne quickly reasserted dominance, with Cahal Keown blasting home a magnificent second goal. Finnen Wall O’Brien produced possibly his best display in an Ardoyne jersey in a standout performance, culminating in curling over an exquisite point from distance. Further scores from Hardy and Lagan left Éire Óg reeling at the break.
Half-Time: Ciceam Ard Eoin 2-09 Éire Óg 1-03
Éire Óg emerged transformed after the interval and the fightback began immediately from the throw in. McIlroy ignited the resurgence with a pointed free. Dixon then galvanized his team, scoring an inspirational two-pointer before Donnelly expertly turned provider to set up Smyth for a clinical goal.
Ardoyne found themselves firmly under pressure. Despite Mullan steadying the ship with two pointed frees, Éire Óg kept coming, with McKenna clipping over two successive points. The momentum swung towards Eire Óg when Dixon collected his second goal of the afternoon.
A grandstand finish was enjoyed by the spectators. Hardy looked to have sealed it for Ardoyne with a crucial goal against the run of play, but Éire Óg refused to yield. Two spectacular consecutive two-pointers suddenly reduced the deficit to a solitary point. With the game on a knife-edge, Ardoyne turned to Mullan. The forward showed nerves of steel to slot over the final point of the match from play, sealing a breathless two-point victory.
Ciceam Ard Eoin: 1. Tiernan Hughes, 2. Cormac Curran, 3. Micheál McGreevy, 4. Conor Magee, 5. Joe Gibson, 6. Pearse Marley, 7. Finnen Wall O’Brien (0-02), 8. Daniel Keenan, 9. Oisin Maskey, 10. Odhran McKee, 11. Gary McKernan, 12. Cormac Mullan (1-09, 4f), 13. Fiontan Lagan (0-01), 14. Cahal Keown (1-0), 15. Kealan Hardy (1-03), 16. Oisin Copeland, Emmet Corry, Eoghan Craig, Brendan Hmilton, Eoin Fennell, Aidan McConnell, Odhran Mullan, Daniel Moore, James Og McAuley, Ethan Magill, Ciaran Lopes, Padraig McGreevy, Cormac Barnes, Aodhán Quigg, Diarmuid Martin
Eire Og: 1. Jamie King, 2. Ryan Clarke, 3. Brian O’Malley, 4. Matt Hanna, 5. Luca Mulholland, 6. Stephen Erskine, 7. Malachy McIvor, 8. Barry McDaid, 9. Patrick Maxwell, 10. Adam McKenna, 11. Conor McKenna (0-02), 12. Ronan McKeown, 13. Conall Smyth (1-01), 14. Eoin Dixon (1-05,4f), 15. Gavin Donnelly, Ciarán Rice, Stephen McDonagh, Conor Dixon(1-04,4f), Karl McKenna, Lorcan McIlroy(0-01,1f), Mark Graham,
Referee: Sean Toal
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