It just wasn’t to be for Ardnaree in Croke Park on Sunday, the Mayo champions had blitzed their way through the club championship in Mayo and on into Connacht, but on the day they just came up against a better team, despite their best efforts.
It was clear to see that these two sides were by far the best junior teams in the country and both deserved to show their qualities in the home of the GAA in an experience they’ll never forget.
From the get-go Templenoe hit the ground running and were three points to the good within the opening four minutes. Killian Spillane got things going with a lovely score from out on the right hand side of the field into the Hill 16 end, he followed that up a few seconds later with another delightful point on the turn after Templenoe had turned over the Ardnaree kick out from the previous score. Brian Crowely kicked their third point after Spillane had created the space for him to take his shot and it was beginning to look ominous for Ardnaree.
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Chris Walsh got them off and running on the scoreboard when he slotted over a point from close range after having his initial shot blocked down by a defender. But the Kerrymen came straight down the field and added their fourth point through Danny Cahalane, if the wing forward had looked up as he broke through the Ardnaree rearguard he could have picked out either of two teammates who were in oceans of space with the goal at their mercy. Martin Rafter responded for Ardnaree, before both sides then exchanged a brace of points each with Eoin McCormack kicking two points from frees for the Mayo men and Adrian Spillane and Stephen O’Sullivan pointing for Templenoe to leave the Kerrymen in front by 0-6 to 0-4 after 14 minutes.
Over the next four minutes of action, Templenoe had their first championship round where they reeled off 1-2 on the bounce. Stephen O’Sullivan got the run going with a point from play, then Blaine Ginty had to pull off a good save from Killian Spillane to keep his goal intact. Adrian Spillane lofted over his sides eighth point of the contest not long after. Then, the first major of the game arrived, Danny Cahalane picked out Stephen O’Sullivan from a sideline ball, the corner forward burnt two Ardnaree defenders for pace before firing low past Ginty to put his side seven clear.
To their credit Ardnaree hit back straight away with sub Ronan O’Malley pouncing on a rebound from an effort by Stephen Tighe that was saved by the Templenoe goalkeeper to find the back of the net less than a minute after his introduction. That goal gave them great hope and they kicked two points in a row over the next three minutes through McCormack and Rory Clarke to leave the score at 1-8 to 1-6 in favour of the Kerrymen, but over the last four minutes of the half Templenoe added on 1-1 to their tally with Ardnaree only able to add another point leaving them five points down at the break. Templenoes second goal came from Brian Crowley who got on the end of a neatly worked move across the face of the Ardnaree goal.
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Ardnaree needed to get a good start in the second half to give themselves a good shot at winning the game, but it was the Kerry outfit who got the star that the men from the banks of the Moy wanted. Two minutes after the restart and O’Sullivan was in for his second goal and that score put his side eight clear. From then on for the rest of the game it was about the Kerrymen keeping their noses in front and they did that despite the valiant efforts of the Ardnaree warriors, ten minutes from time man-of-the-match O’Sullivan scored his third goal, but by that stage it was a mere formality as the clock wound down to its conclusion.
Scores
Ardnaree:E McCormack 0-6 (5fs,1 45 ), R O’Malley (1-0 ), M Rafter (0-2 ), R Clarke (0-1 ), C Walsh (0-1 )
Templenoe: S O’Sullivan (3-1 ), B Crowley (1-3 ); K Spillane (0-4, 1f ); A Spillane (0-2 ); D Cahalane (0-1 ), P Spillane (0-1 ), T Doyle (0-1 ).
Ardnaree: B Ginty, Conor Naylor, Colm Naylor, C Cawley, M McCormack, P Lacken, S Timlen, S Tighe, M Rafter, N Beattie, R Clarke, C Noone, R Doherth, C Walsh, E McCormack. Subs: R O’Malley for Noone (20 ), I Clarke for Cawley (ht ), J Timlin for Walsh (34 ), B Fitzpatrick for Colm Naylor (39 ), J Egan for R Clarke (48 ), K McCarron for Beattie (48 )
Templenoe: A Sheehan, K O’Neill, T Morley, M Hallissey, P Clifford, J Spillane, G Crowley, S Sheehan, A Spillane, B Crowley, C Hallissey, D Cahalane, K Spillane, T Doyle, S O’Sullivan. Subs: P Spillane for Cahalane (52 ), J Rice for M Hallissey (54 ), S Cremin for Clifford for (57 ), J Holland for O’Sullivan (59 ), J Moriarty for O’Neill (61 )
Ref: N Cullen (Fermanagh )
