Pearses 5-14 Moycullen 3-11: Pearses Minor hurlers got their Championship campaign off to a winning start by defeating the home team in Moycullen yesterday evening. Brian Sweeney, Lee Murphy and Paul Lally were to the fore in helping Pearses to a 4-6 to 0-7 half-time lead and it looked like we might cruise to an easy win in the second half.
However, a determined Moycullen effort in the second half, made Pearses work hard to ensure they came out on top in the end. Following the sending off of Pearses No. 6 Ronan O’Neill, the home side got the margin back to 5 points. Scores from Sweeney, Murphy and Gary Hennelly, along with the relocation of Ronan Bellew to centre-back, settled the ship and Pearses ran out 9 point winners.
Pearses: Daniel Masterson; Kevin Clancy, Tom Carr, Ronan Carr; Dermot Byrnes, Ronan O’Neill, Conor Kelly; Ronan Bellew, Paul Lally (1-0); Shane Skehill, Lee Murphy (2-3), Conor O’Neill; Eoghan Burke, Brian Sweeney (2-8), Darren Naughton. Subs used: Gary Hennelly (0-3), Matthew Ruane.