U21B Football Championship Quarter-Final

Ardoyne 1-10 Glenavy 2-11

Report and Pics: Brian McKee

Glenavy secured their spot in the Under 21 football Championship semi-final with a hard-fought 2-11 to 1-10 victory over Ciceam Ard Eoin, overcoming the home team’s resilient second-half push to maintain control until the final whistle.

Glenavy enjoyed a blistering start to the match. Leon Lavery opened the scoring with a brilliant two-pointer from play, quickly backed up by a point from the in-form McGarry to establish an early three-point cushion.

Ardoyne responded quickly. A well-placed long ball into the edge of the square was fielded cleanly by Barnes, who quickly fed Lagan to rifle home a finely taken goal. Fiontan Lagan followed up immediately with a point to briefly nudge Ardoyne ahead.

The frantic pace continued as Glenavy hit back with two points from play, allowing McGarry to restore their one-point advantage by the 10th minute. Ardoyne’s Mailey locked the scores again with a superb point from play, but Glenavy kept their noses in front through points from Lavery and Monaghan.

Late in the half, James Óg McAuley made his presence felt for Ardoyne, scoring a point from play followed by a crucial two-pointer. However, Glenavy snatched the momentum right back just before the break. A clinical goal from Brannon Loughran ensured Glenavy held a narrow advantage at the short whistle.

Half-Time Score: Ciceam Ard Eoin 1-05  Glenavy 1-07

Ardoyne emerged for the second half with high intensity. McKervey quickly reduced the deficit to the bare minimum with an accurate pointed free. Sensing the danger, Glenavy shifted gears; Eoin Nelson executed a vital two-pointer from play, and Monaghan split the posts to stretch the lead out once more.

By the 50-minute mark, Ardoyne had fought back again to trail by just a single point. Their comeback hopes were dashed, however, when McGarry struck a magnificent goal for Glenavy, providing a cushion that frustrated Ardoyne’s comeback attempts.

Glenavy dictated the closing stages of the game. Despite late defiance from Ardoyne—spearheaded by McAuley, who pulled back a point and a subsequent two-pointer from play—Glenavy never looked like losing their grip on the contest. Inconsistency ultimately cost Ardoyne down the stretch.

While Ardoyne will be disappointed with the defeat, they can take immense pride in their impressive Under 21 revival this season. Meanwhile, a clinical Glenavy side moves forward into the semi-final draw brimming with confidence.

Full-Time Score: Ciceam Ard Eoin 1-10  Glenavy 2-11

Starting 15s:

Ciceam Ard Eoin: Daniel Watson, Emmet Corey, Eoin Craig, Michael        Maguire, Brendan Mailey, James Óg McAuley, Finnan Wall O’Brien, Oisin Copeland, Oisin Maskey, Odhran McKee, Brendan Hamilton, Thomas McKinney, Barry McKervey, Fiontain Lagan, Cormac Barnes

Glenavy: Ethan Doherty, Dara McAllister, Odhran Arthurs, Micheal Caupbell, Conor Crossey, Padhraic McKevitt, Ruairi Hamill, Dominic Doherty, Darragh De Brún, Christopher McGarry, James Monaghan, Johnnie Christie, Leon Lavery, Eoin Nelson, Brannan Loughran

Referee: Declan McLarnon

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