St. James’ progress over Cortoon Shamrocks in county championship

St. James’ 2-8

Cortoon Shamrocks 1-6

A solid team effort was the backbone of St. James’ victory over Cortoon Shamrocks, in a game that won’ live long in the memory of those who attended Tuam Stadium for the first fixture of Saturday evening’s county championship double-header.

Minus talisman Paul Conroy, the Galway city club showed that they are more than the sum of their parts as they defended stoutly for long periods of the second half. A goal from Eoin Concannon midway through that half gave them a 2-6 to 1-3 cushion that they never looked like relinquishing.

Concannon was one of a number of St James’ players to stand up in Conroy’s absence, finishing with a personal tally of 1-3. St James’ were slightly more economical in how they made advantage of the ball they received, funnelling back in numbers and breaking out with pace and purpose.

The quality was quite poor overall though. Both sides took the wrong option on numerous occasions when in possession, particularly in the first half, and the combined wide count of 23 makes for shocking reading. St. James’ hit 10 but Cortoon took home the prize in this facet of the game, shooting 13 in all.

Cathal Mulryan and Adrian Varley were guilty in this regard, and none of Cortoon’s four county members caught the eye as Derek Savage was comfortably their best player on show. Varley was shadowed everywhere he went by Eoin Teagle, while Donal O’Neill had his work cut out dealing with Concannon.

The first half was characterised by poor finishing, and a heavy shower that brought thunder and lightning with it just before the half time whistle was the most remarkable event of the half’s entertainment.

It was Cortoon who opened the scoring in the fourth minute through full-forward Fergal Heverin. They sought to isolate Heverin at the edge of the square for much of the game, but the balls into the big man were either overhit or hoovered up by opposition defenders. St. James’ created four goal chances playing against a slight breeze in the opening period.

They took the first of them in the sixth minute of the half, as Tommy Walsh played a neat one-two with Johnny Duane before coolly finishing to the bottom corner of the net. Gary Geoghehan and David O’Connell traded points, before Duane manufactured another goal opportunity for Concannon with a quarter of an hour played.

Darragh Glynn got off his line smartly to block the county forward’s effort out for a 45 however. A free each from Derek Savage and Eoin O’Regan for their respective sides were the only points clocked up between the 14th minute and the half time whistle as St. James’ led 1-2 to 0-3 at the interval.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.