Callanan’s strikes see Liam Mellows off to positive start

Date Published: {J}

Liam Mellows 2-10

Ardrahan 1-12

Darren Kelly

in Athenry

A SECOND quarter purple patch, highlighted by two Aonghus Callanan goals, set Liam Mellows up for a 2-4 to 0-6 interval lead, but the city men were hanging on grimly at the finish in the face of a stirring Ardrahan revival at Kenny Park on Sunday evening.

The South Galway outfit had dominated the first quarter of this county championship clash, but didn’t make it count while a Jonathan Glynn goal after the restart was disallowed for a foul on goalkeeper Paddy Gannon could have changed the game’s complexion.

The first attack came in the second minute and nearly yielded dividends for Ardrahan when Joe O’Leary’s long free was dropped by Gannon but he dealt with it quickly. Within a minute, Ardrahan were ahead when Glynn got his opening point.

Gerry Hennelly got a second in the fourth minute and after Tadhg Haran pulled one back for Mellows, another O’Leary free in the 10th minute gave Ardrahan a 0-3 to 0-1 advantage.

A long range effort from John Hughes brought Liam Mellows back to a point before Iarlaith Tannian made it 0-4 to 0-2 in the 11th minute. But Ardrahan had hit four wides by this stage and Brian Hanley’s Mellows team took full advantage over the next 10 minutes.

Starting with an Ardrahan attack breaking down in the 13th minute, David Collins read the breaking ball and sent a long delivery into the danger area. Callanan took the sliothar and ran at the defence before striking past Ciaran Callanan for the game’s opening goal.

The Galway inter-county player quickly added a point while John O’Halloran got another to make it 1-4 to 0-4 before Liam Mellows’ second goal arrived in the 19th minute. Sean Gilchrist was the provider; Callanan again the receiver as he turned and hit to the roof of the net to put daylight between the teams.

A six point cushion at this stage, Callanan also sent a wonderful effort from the right over the bar but had stepped over the sideline. Liam Mellows could have stretched their lead but missed four chances themselves as an O’Leary ’65 for Ardrahan coupled with a Hennelly point ensured only four separated the teams at the break. They could have been closer as O’Halloran got an opportunity near the end of the half, forcing a great save from Gannon.

But the game seemed to have swung around completely at the start of the second half when Glynn’s effort hit the net only to be disallowed. However, Gerard Forde raised a white flag in the second minute while a Hennelly placed ball brought it back to a two point game.

Liam Mellows hadn’t scored in 20 minutes but found patches duringthe half to chip in with crucial points to stay ahead and got three between the 14th and 18th minutes through Niall McInerney, O’Halloran and Haran.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.