Accurate Healy helps Craughwell hang on for first round victory

Date Published: {J}

CRAUGHWELL 0-15

GORT 1-11

FRANK FARRAGHER

IN ATHENRY

NOT much daylight between Craughwell and Gort in this senior hurling championship Group D clash at Kenny Park on Saturday evening, but in the end the precision long range freetaking of one Niall Healy proved to be the decisive factor of a reasonably entertaining encounter.

Gort had their chances though – most of them in the first half – but at least a half dozen wides and a few point efforts dropped short into the Craughwell square, and that ultimately proved to be fatal for the South Galway side.

The bit of early luck wasn’t on the side of Matt Murphy’s charges either. Twice in the first half when Gerard O’Donoghue and Ollie Fahy had only Craughwell ‘keeper Jamie Ryan to beat, both were blown back by referee Alan Kelly for Gort frees – the application of the advantage rule though might have yielded critical goals.

Gort had played with the assistance of the stiffish first half breeze into the scoreboard goal and with Brian Regan in commanding form at centre back, a decent supply of ball was laid on to their forward line.

Aidan Harte grafted very hard in that first half without getting a commensurate scoreboard reward from play while Paul Killilea, Gerard O’Donoghue and Ollie Fahy made some good bursts, but too many decent chances were spurned.

By contrast, Craughwell – while not setting the world on fire either – were far tidier at the other end. Fergal Healy fired home three crisp efforts from play while Niall Healy, in a portent of things to come from Gort, drove three frees into the wind and over the black spot.

Aidan Harte (4), Ollie Fahy and Paul Killilea did hit the target for Gort but they had to rely on a smart 28th minute save from ‘keeper Peter Cummins when Fergal Healy scented a goal.

Down by 0-7 to 0-6 at the interval and facing into the second half breeze, the odds were stacked against Gort. Things got worse for them when Niall Healy turned on an exhibition of long range freetaking, points that put his side into a 0-14 to 0-8 lead midway through the half.

Just when hope seemed to be evaporating from the Gort cause, their fire was rekindled when a long range Aidan Harte free got a touch from Paul Killilea, in the process nestling the sliotar in the back of the Craughwell net.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.