Pearses 0-14 Beagh 2-5: Our senior hurlers recorded their second Championship win of the season as the Senior ‘B’ Championship returned after the summer break today in Kenny Park. Heavy showers before the game and at half-time, along with the strong wind, made conditions difficult for both teams. Pearses played with the wind in the first half and made the advantage count, taking an eight point lead into the break. Beagh battled hard to reduce the deficit and two late goals reduced the gap to three points, but Pearses’ had the overall edge on their opponents and they came away with this Round 3 win.
Kevin Keehan gave Beagh the lead from a pointed free in the first minute, before Tomas Flannery levelled two minutes later. There was a half chance of goal for Pearses as Flannery soloed through the middle of the Beagh defence, but good defending cut off his options. Jimmy Gelston and Padraic Landers added a point apiece from play for each side as the game entered the 11th minute, 0-2 each.
In the remaining 20 minutes of the first half Pearses dominated the game, outscoring Beagh by 0-9 to 0-1. This spell was put Pearses in the driving seat and would leave Beagh chasing the game in the second half. Ronan Bellew (3), Flannery (2), Cyril Donnellan (2), Sean Hardiman and Dean Reilly were the Pearses scorers. The pick of the points from a tight angle in the scoreboard corner by Tomas Flannery. A Kevin Keehan free was Beagh’s only response, as they struggled to get any shots on target against the wind, blowing diagonally downfield. Pearses threatened a goal late in the first half, as Flannery again cut through the Beagh defence, his offload to Gary Lally didn’t go to hand and allowed Beagh to close the angles. Half-time: Pearses 0-11 Beagh 0-3.
The second half was a low-scoring affair, Pearses like Beagh stuggled against the wind, also hitting just 0-3 points into the town end. Beagh were wasteful at the other side, as they made little headway against a compact Pearses defensive unit. The scoreboard seen Pearses lead 0-14 to 0-5 as the game entered the last five minutes. Flannery and Bellew had added to their personal tallies for Pearses, Bellew finishing the game with an impressive 0-5 from play.
A high ball into the Beagh full-forward line was won by Joe Gantley and he bore down on Fearghal Flannery’s goal before blazing the sliotar to the net. Six points between the teams, 0-14 to 1-5. Three minutes later and Beagh’s county man Adrian Touhey hit a low shot from 25 yards, through a forest of legs, to the back of the Pearses net with just a minute left. Referee Ogie Moran played 4+ minutes of injury time, but the scoreboard keeper was not called into action. Pearses were over the line by three points.
There are two rounds of group games remaining, next up for Pearses is Craughwell and then Oranmore-Maree. Athenry currently top the table with 5 points, while Oranmore-Maree, Craughwell and Pearses are all on 4 points. The top team advances to preliminary quarter-finals, with second and third placed teams going into the Senior ‘B’ play-offs.
Pearses: F Flannery; K Donnellan, T Kenny, R Lally; E Cunniffe, C Donnellan (0-2), D Wynne; R O’Neill, C Fahey; S Hardiman (0-1), T Flannery (0-4), G Lally; D Reilly (0-1), J Gelston (0-1), R Bellew (0-5). Subs used: O Flannery, C Ward.
Beagh Scorers: K Keehan (0-3), A Touhey (1-0), J Gantley (1-0), P Landers (0-1), A Diviney (0-1).
Referee: Ogie Moran.