Pádraig Pearses 3-14 Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry 0-13
Report by Darren Kelly, Connacht Tribune
Pádraig Pearses expelled the myth regarding their scoring power last Saturday in this senior hurling championship tie to secure their place in the pre- liminary quarter-finals in em- phatic fashion.
Trailing 0-13 to 0-12 with just eight minutes remaining, Anthony Kenny’s men put the boot down in the closing stages as goals from Dean Reilly, Tomas Flannery and Cormac Ward set up a meeting with Kilconieron this weekend.
With Athenry failing to halt Gort’s gallop to senior A status, the Gurteen/Ballymacward outfit seized the opening to put away a Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry team that never capitalised on a super start.
Indeed, Aaron Considine’s charges led 0-6 to 0-0 at the first water break as Shane Moloney produced a 15-minute exhibition. He opened his account just 23 seconds in; and his second placed ball, well inside his own 45 metre line, floated over the bar on five minutes.
Another free following a foul on Conor Jordan put three between them before playing a one-two with Padraig Breheny on eight minutes for a four point advantage.
Not be greedy, Moloney turned provider for two more white flags as midfield duo Ben Moran and Breheny read the player expertly to both put their names on the scoreboard.
Maybe the water break was the contest’s major turning point but Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry didn’t march on from their ideal beginning.
Reilly created Padraig Pearses’ first goal opportunity on 18 minutes; and opposing goalkeeper Shane Gohery pro- duced his first top drawer save as he rivalled Moloney for the title of Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry’s top player.
Pearses finally got off the mark 60 seconds later as Emmet Ward overcame a few early misses to showcase his influential contribution with a free.
Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry hit back with one of the scores of the weekend as Moloney slotted over a sideline cut exactly half way out the field on the left; but the winds of change were in mo- tion as Jimmy Gelston and Emmet Ward (2) reduced arrears to 0-7 to 0-4 on 26 minutes.
Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry seemed to be still in control and hit back through Moloney and Thomas Gordon, but Pearses were on a roll with Adrian Bellew setting up Emmet Ward from play, the latter added a free before turning provider for Flannery and it was just 0-9 to 0-7 at half-time.
Pearses had the elements for the second 30 minutes on a sunny day but based on their re- cent outings, the points shooting couldn’t be trusted. That was an area they struggled with against Gort and depended on their goal shooting capabilities to stay in touch.
But again, 40 seconds after the restart, Gohery’s goal was impenetrable. Bellew picked out Flannery who was denied by the stopper and substitute Cormac Ward’s rebound couldn’t find the target.
That being said, Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry were building up a habit of conceding sloppy frees and that played into the hands of their north Galway opponents. After Breheny capitalised from Gordon’s run down the right, two Emmet Ward frees left just one between them.
Also, Moloney’s golden record was taking a hit as efforts went off track but a free on 45 minutes put them 0-11 to 0-9 ahead before Emmet Ward responded to leave the minimum in it at the second-half water break.
With the game in the melting pot, one team stepped up to en- sure their championship year remained valid for another week. Fergal Flannery came out to send his own 120-yard ball between the posts, levelling for the first time; and when Reilly set up Emmet Ward on 49 minutes, Pearses had found the lead.
Neither team could trust a draw in this tight group, and it was no good whatsoever for Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry, paying for their 16-point drubbing three weeks earlier to Gort.
It didn’t matter in the end as Pearses hit hard. Jack Barrett’s cross field ball 60 seconds later found Reilly who wouldn’t be denied again. The first goal and an Emmet Ward free three minutes from time had it 1-13 to 0-13.
Pearses then landed the killer punch, Conor Fahey this time the provider and Tomas Flannery the finisher to put six in it. Cormac Ward put the icing on the cake as he booted the third goal on 63 minutes; and Emmet Ward deservedly had the final say. His free, and 25th point of the championship, gave Pearses a hardly believable 10-point win.
Pádraig Pearses: F Flannery (0-1f); M Hennelly, T Kenny, R Lally; A Bellew, D Wynne, J Barrett; C Raftery, C Fahey; D Reilly (1-0), J Gelston (0-1), E Ward (0-11, 0-9f); O Flannery, T Flannery (1-1), G Lally. Subs: C Ward (1-0) for O Flannery (H-T); R Bellew for G Lally (60mins); E Cunniffe for T Flannery (60mins).
Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry: S Gohery; S Farrell, K Moloney, P Flynn; D Moloney, J Shiel, G McHugo; P Breheny (0-3), B Moran (0-1); S Moloney (0-8, 0-6f, 0-1sl), C Jordan, T Gordon (0-1); J Conroy, P Robinson, N Quirke. Subs: M Dervan for Shiel (39mins), B Lynch for Quirke (47mins); N Moloney for Robinson (47mins); P Hodgins for McHugo (56mins).
Referee: P Fahy.