Moycullen claw back 10 point deficit to snatch unlikely draw

Ardrahan 2-12

Moycullen 1-15

On a windy afternoon by the sea, Moycullen recorded their second successive draw in Group 2, but there was no argument over who was more content with this result as Eanna Noone inspired a remarkable final quarter comeback to reel in a wasteful Ardrahan side who led by 10 points with only 15 minutes of normal time to play.

Having endured as bad an opening quarter as was imaginable when they allowed Ardrahan to open up a sizeable lead at their leisure, Noone eventually dragged his side back into the mix with a well struck 47th minute penalty and with the elements in their favour, they slowly but surely ate into Ardrahan’s advantage.

In the end, it took all of the five minutes of stoppage time allocated for them to create the levelling score, and when it did come there was an element of fortune as Fionn MacDonnacha’s theatrical fall under pressure won a close range free that Noone tapped over, but there was no denying that Moycullen fully deserved a share of the spoils.

Ardrahan now sit bottom of the group and will be wondering for some time how they let this one slip from their grasp. Johnny Glynn, who was moved back to centre half-back in the second-half, caught his fair share of ball in the closing stages to try and relieve the pressure but the end product further forward was sorely lacking too often and a total of 12 wides tells its own tale.

Initially, Ardrahan were cutting through Moycullen like a hot knife through butter. After midfielder Gerard Forde opened the scoring and Cian Walsh added a second, the opening goal arrived on seven minutes when a routine delivery from deep broke to Maurice Callinan and he darted into space before firing passed Moycullen ‘keeper Eric Fox.

Callinan added a free and although Moycullen opened their account when Eanna Noone converted a free, from the puck out Liam Forde broke clear in the left corner and somehow drilled a shot to the net from a very acute angle. Moycullen were all over the place and Callinan quickly added another free and at 2-4 to 0-1, it seemed to already be a case of damage limitation for David Kearns’ side.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.