Ó Lionsigh shoots the lights out for clinical Claregalway

Coláiste Bhaile Chláir 3-21

Garbally College 2-13

Gerard Mulreaney in Bekan

DESPITE Storms Dudley and Eunice battering the country, the weather abated long enough on Thursday evening to allow Coláiste Bhaile Chláir and Garbally College go head-to-head in the Connacht Post Primary Senior B hurling final at the GAA centre of excellence in Bekan.

Garbally were hoping to complete a unique double, with their footballers having won the Senior B Connacht title the previous week. Five members of that team lined out here: Jason Cunningham, Sean Canning, Shane Fitzpatrick, Cormac Gillespie and Liam Collins.

The Ballinasloe boys started on the front foot, scoring the first two points of the game through Canning and Collins, but it took a further 20 minutes before they added to that. In that time, Claregalway – who took to the field with seven Carnmore and five Turloughmore players in their starting 15 – landed five points from Ronan Killilea (4) and Eanna O Loinsigh.

The Claregalway half-back line of Darragh Morrissey, Cillian Whelan and Jack Lonergan were dominant early on as they completely overpowered their opponents. The link-up play between forwards Mark Collins, Ronan Killilea and Eanna O Loinsigh was also beginning to reap rewards, while the midfield partnership of Cillian Trayers and Luc O’Connor was excellent.

Claregalway did have a couple of goal chances in the first half, with Tom Nolan denied twice by Garbally netminder Cormac Kenny, while O Loinsigh drove the ball low over the bar when he was played in by Daithi Warde.

The Ballinasloe side scored four points before half-time to take a four-point lead into the break, with Killilea and O Lionsigh both on the mark twice, while Liam Collins replied with four points of his own for Garbally, one of those an excellent long-range free from inside his own half.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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