Pearses 4-8 Oranmore-Maree 0-7: The Club’s Junior footballers defeated Oranmore-Maree last Saturday in the North Board Junior ‘C’ Final at Tuam Stadium. They have gained promotion to Junior ‘B’ for 2017 and a place in the County Junior ‘C’ Football Final against Connemara club Naomh Anna, Leitir Móir. Two goals in the first five minutes set the tone for the rest of the game as Pearses ran out comfortable winners.
Both teams observed a minute’s silence for Sheila Bellew RIP before the throw-in. When the action got under way, the first goal wasn’t long arriving. Damien Wynne latched on to the break and finished to the net after an Enda Cunniffe free had dropped short in the square. Just two minutes later Tómas Flannery had the ball in the net for Pearses. By the 15th minutes Pearses led 2-2 to 0-1, with Flannery and Cunniffe points coming either side of Oranmore-Maree’s first. Oranmore-Maree had some chances from placed balls, but just didn’t have the range. In the second quarter the men in blue came more into the game and added three points to Pearses’ two, leaving the half-time score 2-4 to 0-3.
Kerrill Hardiman had the ball in the net four minutes into the second half and by the end of the third quarter Pearses had added three more points, with Oranmore-Maree’s first score of the second half not coming until the 51st minute, 3-7 to 0-4. Oranmore-Maree added three points in the last ten minutes and rattled the crossbar, but 1-1 from Pearses held off any slim hope of a comeback. Emmet Ward with the final goal of the game in injury time.
Captain Gary Lally accepted the cup from Galway County Board Chairman and Club Vice-President Noel Treacy. He praised the Management team of Adrian Queeney, James Clancy and Noel Burke and noted that the win was just reward for their commitment too. Best of luck to the team and management in the County Final.
Pearses: J Flannery; L Murphy, K Donnellan, T Broderick; J Lally, R Bellew, G Lally; A Bellew, L Morrissey; T Flannery (1-1), E Cunniffe (0-5), D Wynne (1-0); R Skehill, K Hardiman (1-2), R Lally. Subs used: B Egan, A Finn, E Ward (1-0).