Pearses 2-15 Carnmore 1-16: Pearses took the lead after three minutes and led for the remainder of the game, in this game played yesterday in Ballymacward. A goal from Carnmore on the 52nd minute brought the gap back to one, but Pearses protected the lead to register a first League win of the new season.
Despite Carnmore opening the scoring, Pearses led 1-3 to 0-1 by the 10th minute. Niall Skehill with the goal and Brian Sweeney hitting the points (two frees). By the 23rd minute Carnmore had added four more points, to Pearses two, 1-5 to 0-5. Another scoring burst by Pearses yielded 1-2 in a two minute spell, Sweeney with 1-1 and Skehill to open a seven point lead 2-7 to 0-6. Carnmore fought back, led by the Hanley brothers George and Barry, to narrow the Pearses lead in the remaining five minutes of the half. The half-time score, 2-8 to 0-9.
The teams shared ten points evenly in the third quarter. Again the Hanleys among the scorers, Barry with three frees and also Kevin Killilea. There were five different scorers for Pearses in this spell (Lally, Sweeney, R Skehill, Gelston and Cunniffe), 2-13 to 0-14. The teams swapped two more points, before 1-1 from Carnmore left just one in it with eight minutes to play. A Brian Sweeney free with five minutes left put two between the sides and Carnmore attacked twice more in the closing stages, but to no avail. Next up for Pearses is Kiltormer in the final League group game this Saturday (19th) in Kiltormer.
Pearses: P O’Brien; R Carr, T Kenny, B Egan; A Bellew, T McDonagh, K Hardiman; J Gelston (0-1), K Donnellan; E Cunniffe (0-2), C Raftery (0-1), L Murphy (0-1); G Lally (0-1), N Skehill (1-2), B Sweeney (1-6, 5f). Subs used: S Murray, R Skehill (0-1), D Burke.