Quarter-final race heats up with Craughwell win

Craughwell 2-12

Liam Mellows 0-14

A peculiar game in which neither side showcased their true potential was deservedly won by Craughwell, the hungrier outfit with a nose for goals.

Maybe it was the Friday evening of a Bank Holiday throw-in, but there was a flatness to the proceedings and the atmosphere in Athenry, particularly early-on, as goals in either half from Fergal Healy and Shane Dolan earned Craughwell the spoils.

In fairness to Craughwell, they were business-like in meeting the Mellows’ challenge, and carving out a four-points victory, which ensures senior A group two will go down to the wire.

Pacesetters from the first two rounds, this defeat means Mellows have now been leapfrogged by Craughwell and Cappataggle; and those three, plus Mullagh and Tommy Larkins, remain in the hunt for the pair of automatic quarter-final qualifications.

Having lost one of their opening two games, Craughwell probably needed the points more, and it showed – once they hit the front with Dolan’s goal two minutes into the second-half, they always looked capable of protecting that advantage.

Liam Mellows netted seven goals in their first two games, but never really got a sniff of one here.

Conversely, Craughwell bagged two – effectively what swung it in their favour – and there was an ever-present danger they’d get another, such was the amount of space in the Mellows’ defence.

Though the city men didn’t click upfront – their six starting forwards managed just three points from play between them, and two prominent players were held scoreless – it was the backs that will cause more sleepless nights for manager, Louis Mulqueen.

For both goals, Mellows were badly exposed with their defence too open, and even during those periods when a seventh player dropped back from the forwards to sweep up, Craughwell still seemed to pose a threat.

The goals proved crucial.

In the 19th minute, it broke kindly to Fergal Healy who had only one thing on his mind – he skipped by his marker, and put the head down with nobody but the ‘keeper to beat.

Jack Forde had no chance of stopping that shot, but he can shoulder some of the blame for the second. The custodian hesitated when a ball was sent high, into the danger area, and like all good corner-forwards, Dolan followed it through and pulled on it. A typical poacher’s goal and in Forde’s defence, the glare from the setting sun may have momentarily impacted his vision.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.