Pearses 0-23 Kiltormer 1-5: Pearses led this game from the seventh minute and never looked like losing, despite a Kiltormer goal after 27 minutes. The team now advance to another Championship Quarter-Final, this time with our neighbours Sarsfields.
The teams exchanged early wides, before Kerrill Hardiman landed a point from long range to give Pearses the lead. Keith Kilkenny levelled from a free, but Jimmy Gelston put Pearses back in front. Kiltormer had a chance to level again, but missed a scoreable free.
The result was all but decided in the following 10 minutes, as Pearses landed 0-7 in-a-row, 0-6 from play. Tomas Flannery (2), Kerrill Hardiman (2), Gary Lally (2) and Shane Raftery the scorers. Kiltormer ended a 16 minute scoreless spell. Flannery and Ronan Bellew replied for Pearses, 0-11 to 0-2 after 25 minutes. Keith Kilkenny and Colm Raftery exchanged points, before Patrick Cormican goaled for Kiltormer, against the run of play. Flannery and Gelston quickly added points to leave the half-time score 0-14 to 1-3.
Like the first half the second took a few minutes for a score. By the 19th minute Pearses had added 0-5 to their tally. Gelston, Flannery and Gary Lally on target. Kiltormer scored their first point of the second half after 25 minutes, but Pearses had the next 0-4. Kiltormer had the final point of the game, but it didn’t matter as Pearses ran out convincing winners.
Kerrill Hardiman, Gary Lally, Tomas Flannery and Jimmy Gelston, all struck 0-4 each from play. Indeed 0-20 of Pearses’ 0-23 came from play. Tomás Flannery and Damien Wynne both left the game with injuries in the second half. Hopefully they will be back in the starting line-up for the Quarter-Final.
Pearses: P O’Brien; T McDonagh, T Kenny, R Lally; A Bellew, C Donnellan, K Hardiman (0-4); D Wynne, C Raftery (0-1); S Raftery (0-1), J Gelston (0-4), E Ward; G Lally (0-4), T Flannery (0-6), R Bellew (0-3). Subs used: S Hardiman, R O’Neill, A Kilkenny, L Murphy, E Cunniffe.