Gantley and Keehan hit the points trail as Beagh advance

Beagh 0-17   Kiltormer 0-15

Alan Dooley at  Kenny Park

A late surge from Beagh saw the South Galway side emerge victorious from a gripping contest with Kiltormer in Kenny Park, Athenry on Sunday and book their place in the quarter finals of the senior hurling championship. Beagh’s talismen, Kevin Keehan and Joe Gantley, produced the goods at the death to eventually see off Kiltormer’s gallant challenge.

While Beagh could have been out of sight after a first half in which Kiltormer ‘keeper Emmett Goode pulled off a trio of excellent saves to keep his side in it, the second period proved a much tighter affair, as no more than a point separated the teams between the 38th and 56th minute.

Kiltormer looked the more likely to record the win – a draw would have been sufficient for Beagh – when they took the lead on 51 minutes through Michael Dolan, but Brendan Gantley’s charges showed considerable resolve to strike the next three points in quick succession to turn the tide their way.

A two-point margin was a considerable advantage at this stage, and Beagh maintained that gap as injury time commenced, however little did they, or anyone else for that matter, know that they would have six more minutes to defend it. Keehan then set up Joe Gantley for a critical score, and although Patrick Cormican pointed later for Kiltormer, Beagh advanced.

While some in the vociferous Kiltormer contingent in the stand were aggrieved at a number of perceived injustices at the hands of referee Seán Moran, in truth some costly wides at critical stages did more harm to their cause. They were right, though, to feel upset when Beagh ‘keeper Kevin O’Grady’s high tackle on Cormican on 57 minutes denied the forward a clear goalscoring opportunity. 

The goalie could well have been booked when conceding a penalty earlier in the half, but escaped censure on that occasion and only saw yellow when committing this cynical foul. While crude, with so much at stake O’Grady was left with little option, and the free resulted in only a point being conceded so, from his point of view, it was the right decision.

This Group D decider was always going to be a tight affair, with Beagh slight favourites despite the fact that both had lost their games with eventual group winners Pádraig Pearses by the exact same margin. Playing with a summer breeze at their backs, Beagh were marginal leaders at 0-4 to 0-3 on the quarter hour mark, with Joe Gantley’s first involvement, Beagh’s first point from play, edging them in front. 

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune