Improving Pearses in contention to now top their group

Pádraig Pearses 2-16

Moycullen 1-8

PÁDRAIG Pearses ran out comfortable winners over Moycullen last Saturday evening to maintain their push for a preliminary quarter-final place in this year’s senior championship. The win means Pearses now know a win against Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry in the final round will be enough to finish top of Group 2 and secure promotion back to Senior ‘A’.

It was a strong team performance from the Ballymacward men as they led from almost pillar to post, winning by double scores in the end, 2-16 to 1-8.

The result leaves Moycullen winless and bottom of the group although draws in two of their previous games does give them a chance of avoiding the battle for relegation. David Kearns’ side will know that major improvement will be needed in their final game against Athenry.

It was Pearses who got off to the better start, grabbing the first two scores of the game. The first came from a superb long-range effort from wing-back Shane Raftery before James Gelston doubled their lead after good work by Ronan Bellew on the left wing.

Moycullen had created very little up to that point but they were back on level terms by the 14th minute, 0-2 each, thanks to a couple of scores from midfielder Eanna Noone. His first came from a placed ball after Conor Bohan had been fouled before Noone fired over a spectular effort from the right-hand touchline, over 65m from goal.

Unfortunately for Noone and his team-mates, Moycullen were guilty of a few sloppy wides not long after as Pearses began to take control of the contest. Colm Raftery pushed them back in front after a surging run though the middle before they had the sliotar in the net for the first time in the 24th minute.

Cyril Donnellan’s point attempt from 60m dropped straight into the net but, thankfully for Moycullen goalkeeper Eric Fox, Pearses’ Tomás Flannery was adjudged to have been encroaching in the square.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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