Abbeyknockmoy left to rue wasteful shooting in scrappy affair

Abbeyknockmoy 0-15

Mullagh 0-15

CATHAL Dervan struck 12 points for Mullagh as he helped them earn a draw against 14-man Abbeyknockmoy. His free in the fourth minute of additional time saw Mullagh avoid an upset in what proved to be a scrappy affair.

But the 2015 intermediate champions Abbeyknockmoy will be frustrated that they did not record their first win of the championship. They now face a difficult task to avoid a place in the relegation play-offs as they tackle Clarinbridge in the final round of fixtures.

When Danny Mullins was sent off for Abbeyknockmoy after 55 minutes, it appeared that Mullagh were in pole position to claim their second victory of the championship. However, it was the men in red and blue who will feel that they should have won this game. They showed their battling qualities to seize the initiative, but lacked composure when they needed it most. Abbey scored only one of their last five efforts on goal. The Mullagh defence produced two excellent blocks as they sought to avoid losing two successive group games.

The opening half saw both teams hit only one point from play apiece with Cathal Dervan and Abbeyknockmoy’s Cathal Cooley converting 11 frees between them. Mullagh held the upper hand throughout the opening exchanges as they gained control of the middle third, but their tally of nine wides saw them only lead by one at the break.

Abbeyknockmoy struggled off their own puckout, winning four and losing 11 in the first half as Dervan and Davy Glennon grabbed points off the opposition’s restarts. Galway player Glennon’s point in the third minute proving to be the final score from play for either team in the opening half.

Paul Cooley grabbed a well worked score in the second minute as his side went over half an hour without a point from open play. However, Cathal Cooley proved accurate from placed balls for Abbeyknockmoy. The teams were level three times in the opening six minutes with Cathal Cooley and Dervan pointing frees to make it 0-4 apiece after 12 minutes.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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