Tuam cut loose in setting up big clash with champs

TUAM STARS 4-11

CAHERLISTRANE 1-6

THIS time last year Caherlistrane upset the odds by defeating Tuam in the senior championship in Corofin, and for the first 20 minutes of this preliminary quarter-final in Salthill on Saturday evening, a repeat act looked a distinct possibility.

Caherlistrane had charged into the action like young bulls on their first run, winning a lot of the 50-50 battles for possession and carving open the Stars defence on a few occasions.

When Martin Burke hammered home an eighth minute goal after taking a pass from Eric Monahan, Tuam looked like a side in trouble and at the end of the first quarter they trailed by 1-2 to 0-1.

Tuam’s early resistance was built around the performance of Gary O’Donnell at centre back, who as well as breaking up several Caherlistrane moves, also counter-attacked with great purpose.

In that opening 20 minutes of the match, Tuam badly needed scores to keep them in touch but during this period none of their forwards raised a white flag.

O’Donnell tacked on Tuam’s second point in the 16th minute following on from an earlier score by midfielder Cian McNamara before the game was to change course quite dramatically.

Caherlistrane ‘keeper Rory Conlon had saved brilliantly from Gavan Connell earlier on, but in the 20th minute, O’Donnell joined a Tuam attack in full flight to bullet home a goal from 13 metres.

Even after that, Caherlistrane bounced back with two points from Eric Monahan and Cormac Bane, before the Stars replied to level the match at 1-4 apiece with scores from Conor Doherty and a Gavan Connell free.

Just as the half was about to expire, the match swung inexorably the way of Tuam. Again O’Donnell was at the heart of the move, turning over a ball in midfield before lively forward Mikey Mannion passed to James Murphy who found the net from close range.

That put Tuam into a rather unexpected 2-4 to 1-4 interval lead but as the skies grew a bit more sullen over Galway Bay, the scale of the second half Caherlistrane collapse could not have been anticipated.

After an early Gavan Connell point put them four up, the Stars put together the best move of the match in the 39th minute with Conor Doherty, Noel Henry and Donal Marley combining to set up Jamie Murphy for his second goal strike.

At the interval, Tuam had introduced Cormac McWalter into their attack and the young forward added to Caherlistrane’s woes with a series of incisive runs culminating in a 50th minute goal strike after taking a pass from Mikey Mannion.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.