NAFL
Premier League
Ardglass FC 0 Immaculata 7
This painful and crushing defeat will be a match that Ardglass will want to forget about in a hurry. Their much depleted side faced a buoyant Immaculata in Ardglass and from the whistle it looked as though the seasiders were to have a rough ride.
Ardglass were suffering as a few of their key players were absent due to Gaelic commitments leaving the side understrength, particularly in the forward line. Immaculata had the strong wind behind them from the start and kept Ardglass under pressure.
After five minutes, Immaculata were one up with a volley from midfielder Sean McGovern.
The first Ardglass attack on goal took ten minutes to assemble, and the Immaculata defence brushed it aside. The Ardglass defence with Brian Wrangle, Anthony O’Shea too with Neill Teggart as sweeper were doing an excellent job and were managing in the early stages.
But the Ardglass front line found it difficult due to the wind and general play to sustain an attack. Owen Curran did battle strongly on the left wing with a number of feisty runs and crosses.
Sean Paul Halpen made a useful volley but it was held by Immaculata keeper Gerard Smyth. Then it was Ardglass keeper Mark Armstrong’s time to make a sterling block as danger man John Boyce shot at goal.
But on the 31st minute, Boyce crossed to Tiernan McGreevy who tapped in past Armstrong to put Immaculata two goals ahead.
Immaculata’s Colm Carson knocked in a third goal seven minutes later. Ardglass looked skewered by the visitors with no answer to their quick tempo attacks.
In the second half, Neill Teggart moved to the front line with Chris Teggart taking the roll as defender. Immaculata’s Boyce certainly raised his game seeing the opportunities arise for his side and after a few near misses, Carson crossed to Boyce who slotted in the fourth goal 21 minutes into the second half. Ardglass were hopeful that the wind would have helped them but it had died off to a gentle flutter in the second half.
Then it was Boyce again who took the fifth goal hitting the underside of the crossbar then seeing the ball eventually go over the line.
On the half hour, Stephen Deegans had a chance to take a goal back for Ardglass from a free kick outside the box but it shot over the post.
Immaculata were finding holes in the Ardglass defence and the home side were counting the minutes to the whistle. Chris Teggart had a corking volley but Immaculata keeper Gerard Smyth was on form and blocked the shot.
At 35 minutes, sub Adrian Oliver chipped over Armstrong to give Paidgraig Adams a clear shot at goal for the sixth goal. Then Oliver took the last goal to drive home the crushing defeat.
Ardglass will need to get its house in order for future league games or it could find itself tumbling down the league table as teams work through the backlog of games at the end of the season.
Ardglass FC: Mark Armstrong, Brian Crangle, Anthony O’Shea, Neil Teggart, Chris Teggart, Sean Paul Halpen, Stephen Deegans, Michael McGarry, Aaron Johnston, Caolan O’Shea, Owen Curran. Subs: Stephen Moore, Karl O’Neill and Conor Kearney.
Immaculata: Gerard Smyth, James Haughey, Michael Fisher, Billy McGovern, Sean McGovern, Joseph McClenaghan, Tony Heagney, Colm Carson, Paidraig Adams, Tiarnan McGreevy, John Boyce. Subs: Adrian Oliver, Patrick Maguire and Daniel Largey.
