Mountbellew/Moylough footballers march on

Mountbellew/Moylough             2-12
Killererin                                      0-11

Mountbellew/Moylough avoided the pitfalls of a relegation battle on Sunday evening when they comfortably saw off Killererin at Tuam Stadium on Sunday evening in round three of the Galway senior football championship. Two goals from county minor star Michael Daly helped catapult them into the quarter finals, where they will now renew acquaintances with title favourites Corofin.

A dominant third quarter from the men in black and amber was the game’s decisive phase as Val Daly’s side added 1-4 to their tally, with only a Shane Hughes free registering at the other end for Killererin. This put clear daylight between the sides for the first time after an opening half that was closely fought but suffered as a spectacle due to a litany of frees.

Killererin’s Hughes ended with a fine contribution  of ten points generated in full from placed balls, but Billy Joyce’s young side struggled elsewhere for scores, with only Micheál Boyle kicking a score from play in the first half. By contrast, Mountbellew/Moylough had seven different scorers, with full back Cathal Duffy landing a super score and Joe Bergin contributing a point towards the end.

Bergin’s most telling play came with 45 minutes on the clock, though, as he powered forward inside the Killererin 20 metre line for the first time in the contest, and laid off a well-timed hand pass to midfield colleague Daly on the burst, who drove low and hard beyond ‘keeper Alan Kelly. Mountbellew/Moylough were seven clear, and although Killererin put up dogged resistance, the goals they needed were beyond their grasp.

Mountbellew/Moylough began without either Joss Moore or Colm Colleran in their defence, and Shane Hughes opened Killererin’s account with a second minute free. Mountbellew/Moylough hit back with venom, though, and rattled the back of the net on six minutes when Eoin Finnerty collected a good ball in from Barry McHugh and found Daly, who fired to the net.

Killererin then profited from the no-nonsense refereeing style of Shane Hehir when a free was brought forward into the scoring range of Hughes and he calmly slotted over. Cathal Kenny and Finnerty were forming a threatening two-man inside line for Mountbellew, and Joe Meehan restored their two point lead with a well-taken free.

Hughes, who took the majority of his frees from a similar position, guided over a twelfth minute effort before a good run from deep by Mountbellew/Moylough’s Colm Mannion saw the defender pick out McHugh and he lofted over a point before picking up a needless yellow card moments later, one of five shown in the tie before Killererin’s Adrian Nolan saw red in injury time.

Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.