Teenager Finnerty seals the deal for Salthill

Salthill-Knocknacarra 0-12

Killanin 1-6

ULTIMATELY a disappointing Galway SFC quarter-final at Pearse Stadium on Saturday evening was decided by a couple of great points from Salthill-Knocknacarra’s talented teenage substitute Robert Finnerty.

Eligible for the minor grade again in 2016, Finnerty climbed off the bench to steer Salthill-Knocknacarra to a deserved victory. Despite falling behind to a highly controversial Johnny Heaney penalty with five minutes remaining, Val Daly’s team stayed cool under pressure clipping four unanswered points in the closing stages.

Shane Maughan accepted responsibility drilling an immaculate equaliser and then Finnerty nailed two gorgeous efforts. Killanin were in late distress as Maughan sealed Salthill-Knocknacarra’s triumph with a fisted point.

Considering the youthful make-up of the Salthill-Knockncarra panel, Killanin will reflect long into the winter on a significant opportunity wasted. This was a game Killanin could have won so plenty of regrets will be nursed.

Not since Kevin Walsh and the Fahys were in their pomp have Killanin had such a representation on the county senior panel and the support cast is useful too. Carrying momentum from last year’s intermediate championship success, Killanin have enjoyed a satisfactory return to the senior ranks, but the nature of this loss offered a reminder of the distance that still needs to be travelled.

The statistics confirmed how they struggled as Killanin only registered three points from play. They failed to get enough quality possession into Patrick Sweeney, who was shifted into full forward after ten minutes of a match in which Salthill-Knocknacarra started brightly.

That was chiefly because Conor Healy and the excellent Barry Kelly were dovetailing nicely at centrefield. Kelly contributed a man of the match performance reading and ruling the midfield exchanges with Healy a willing and capable accomplice.

Diarmuid O’Connor thumped Killanin ahead, but then Salthill-Knocknacarra responded with the splendid Kelly to the fore. Kelly lofted three points delightful points from distance, while Ruaidhri McTiernan and Conor Halloran also ventured upfield to land important scores.

But as the interval approached Enda Kelly converted three frees for Killanin as Salthill-Knocknacarra’s half-time advantage was 0-6 to 0-4. After the restart it followed a similar pattern, but Salthill-Knocknacarra’s conversion rate will be a worry for Daly ahead of a semi-final meeting with his native Mountbellew-Moylough.

Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.