Derby success consolation for Castlegar as title interest ends

Castlegar 1-15

Liam Mellows 1-13

Patrick Flaherty in Pearse Stadium

Pride is one the biggest motivational factors a sports team can have, getting one over your local rivals sometimes being as good a feeling as progressing.

Castlegar have been overshadowed in recent time as their city rivals have gone on to make back-to-back county finals and lift the Tom Callanan Cup, and went into the fixture knowing they needed a huge favour from an out-of-sorts Portumna against Tommy Larkins to progress to the knockout stages.

That hope was well gone by half-time, however it didn’t stop them from fighting hard to get one over Mellows and the jubilation from players and supporters alike on the final whistle showed just how much the derby day success still means to those involved.

An Aonghus Callanan goal on 56 minutes seemingly put Mellows in the driving seat with a four-point gap to defend late on, but this ended up being their last score as Cashel hit them for 1-3 to thwart their hopes of an automatic quarter final spot.

The tie was played in very poor conditions, the rain coming down heavy along with a very strong breeze, and it was Castlegar who had the elements in their favour early on.

Despite the rain lashing into their faces, Mellows got the action under way inside the opening minute as Tadgh Haran pointed in the corner only to be quickly cancelled out by an Oisin Connolly free and Mellows didn’t lead again during the first-half.

With a strong breeze to back them up, Cashel quickly took the lead with Mark Gill and Enda Concannon pointing from play as the attacking strategies of both sides became apparent.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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