Carnmore hurlers pull off surprise win

Carnmore  0-16

Padraig Pearses    2-9

IF goals win games, then this intriguing SHC second round game was certainly the exception to the rule as a determined Carnmore hurlers pointed their way into the group stages of the 2014 championship and, by doing so, avoided the prospect of facing into another relegation battle for a third consecutive year.

When one considers how close Carnmore came to losing to Moycullen in last year’s relegation decider, perhaps a more pertinent cliché for Seamus Qualter’s charges was: ‘What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger’. That definitely seemed to be the case here.

Two workmanlike displays against Sarsfields – drawn game and replay – might have indicated a measure of improvement in Carnmore’s game. However, it was these 60 minutes of rousing fare – endorsed by their one-point victory over 2013 quarter-finalists Padraig Pearses – that showed they have progressed.

That said, it didn’t look good for the victors at the interval. Having failed to secure a lead of any sort despite playing with wind advantage in the opening period, Carnmore’s woes were compounded by seven first half wides.

Their application, though, was good and by the end of the first quarter they had led three points to two after Aidan Reilly (sideline cut) and key man Kevin Killilea (two frees) tallied early on with Pearses full-forward Emmett Ward – free and play – responding for his side.

However, 15 minutes in, Carnmore suffered a setback when a Ronan Bellew delivery found Tomás Flannery and, showing a deft touch to take the ball down to hand, rounded his marker and shot brilliantly to the net.

Maybe in the past, Carnmore might have taken that to heart but, as they showed against Sarsfields, they do now seem to have the ability to bounce back. So, they proved again. Within 30 seconds, the sliotar had found its way into the hands of Reilly and he threw over a point to reduce the deficit to one.

In all, Carnmore would outscore their opponents four points to two in the second quarter – Barry Hanley (free) and defenders Eoin Grealish and Ciaran Murray tallying their other points – but, still, it was felt this would be nowhere near enough to overthrow a fancied Pearses outfit, albeit one relying heavily on Emmett Ward’s freetaking.

Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune’