Stalemate a fair outcome as O’Meara rescues Portumna

Kilconieron 1-20

Portumna 2-17

STEPHEN GLENNON IN LOUGHREA

IN a game of fine margins, 2020 intermediate winners Kilconieron looked to have snatched victory with a Brian Hickey point deep into added time before Portumna, with a seventh minute injury-time free, rallied to secure a draw in an exciting SHC ‘B’ game in Loughrea last Saturday.

Both teams had their periods of ascendancy throughout the 60 plus minutes, but, perhaps, Kilconieron may feel that they left both of the SHC points behind them. Although two goals down at the second-half water break, 2-15 to 0-15, they subsequently outscored Portumna, who fielded without the injured Joe Canning, 1-5 to two points in the final quarter.

In truth, Kilconieron could have – and should have – put up a bigger score, Declan Loughnane’s outfit incredibly registering seven wides in the closing quarter. It was a spell in which they gobbled up Portumna’s puckouts and had their illustrious opponents on the backfoot.

Kilconieron also started this tie in much the same fashion, leading six points to three after 12 minutes and enjoyed a similar productive period late in the first half when they reeled off three points without reply. Yet, it was what happened in between these periods that hurt them.

Just before the first-half water break, Portumna hit them for 1-1, with Sean Brien tallying the point and the lively Declan McLoughlin slipping in for the game’s opening goal.

Up to this point, Kilconieron appeared to be in control, but now it was Portumna who had their proverbial tails up, leading 1-4 to 0-6 at the first-half water break – Connelly (2) and Ronan O’Meara having converted chances earlier in the opening quarter.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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