Pearses 1-21 Cappataggle 0-11: The Club’s senior hurlers advanced to the Preliminary Quarter-Finals yesterday in Duggan Park. This was a must win game to give us a chance of making it through. A strong second quarter seen Pearses open a three point gap with the wind. The lead had stretched to seven by the break. The result was put out of doubt in the 23rd minute of the second half when substitute Jimmy Gelston scored the game’s only goal.
Pearses led by one point (0-4 to 0-3) after 10 minutes of play. Kerrill Hardiman opened the scoring, followed by points from Tomás Flannery and Cyril Donnellan, while Daniel Nevin was on target for Cappataggle. After 20 minutes the lead had extended to three and could have been more, but for a good save by James Skehill to deny Lee Murphy. With the score at 0-10 to 0-4, Cyril Donnellan (now at full-forward) collected a cross field ball and his low shot was again kept out by Skehill. One of the highlights of the closing stages of the first half was a super high catch by Tommy Mac, while Ronan O’Neill and Flannery added two more Pearses points to leave the half-time score, 0-12 to 0-5.
The third quarter seen the teams share eight points evenly, as Cappy came looking to fight their way back. Seán Hardiman and Flannery (2 each), while Nevin and Mannion were among the Cappy scorers. Flannery also went close for a goal, but the shot was stopped by Skehill. With Pearses leading 0-17 to 0-9 a long delivery into the square was broken down by Cormac Ward. Another sub Jimmy Gelston was on hand to finish past Skehill. Pearses added 0-5 to Cappy’s 0-2 in the closing stages to run out convincing winners.
In the other fixtures played in the Group Craughwell had defeated Liam Mellows and Portumna had seen off Ardrahan, meaning Pearses finished in fourth place and qualified for the knockout stages. Loughrea, Gort, Portumna and Craughwell go direct to the Quarter-Finals. The preliminary Quarter-Finals will include Pearses, Sarsfields, St Thomas’s, Cappataggle, Tommy Larkins, Mullagh, the winners of Abbeyknockmoy v Kilnadeema-Leitrim and the winners of Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry v Beagh.
Pearses: F Flannery; T McDonagh, T Kenny, R Lally; A Bellew, R Bellew, K Hardiman (0-1); C Donnellan (0-2), R O’Neill (0-1); S Hardiman (0-3), E Ward (0-1), E Cunniffe; G Lally (0-1), T Flannery (0-11), L Murphy. Subs used: C Ward (0-1), J Gelston (1-0), D Wynne.