Varley is big influence in Cortoon’s replay win

Cortoon Shamrocks 4-9 Killererin 1-13

CORTOON Shamrocks became the last club to advance to the last 16 of the senior championship with victory over Killererin at Tuam Stadium on Saturday evening almost two months since these sides drew in the first meeting. One of the defining aspects of this replay was the display of Cortoon’s young players.

Three of their four goals came from two minors, Joseph Donnellan and Martin Connell, and seven of their starting team are U-21 this year. Hit harder than most clubs in Galway through emigration and well-known player transfers, Cortoon flew Shane Gilmore home from Canada to play this game and now the one against Kilconly. In that sense, it is encouraging to see a good crop of youngsters coming through.

A decent game of football, it was similar to the drawn match in that tactics and defence played a big role. Cortoon were stronger on these fronts, with Donal O’Neill doing a fine man-marking job on another forward of note this summer, this time in the form of Nicky Joyce.

Padraic Joyce was involved in most things good Killererin did in the first half, but the switch of Brian Roache onto him just before half time helped limit his effect from there on.  While there was again not a whole lot between the teams, it was the goals Cortoon scored, coupled with their greater defensive organisation, which proved crucial.

They managed two majors in the first game but couldn’t put Killererin away. This time, Cortoon were to register four against the Killererin defence of which the second was the most important. It was Donnellan’s first and gave his side a 2-6 to 0-8 cushion early in the second half, forcing the opposition to chase the game from there on.

The opening half was tight. Killererin’s control at midfield for the first 20 minutes through Tom and James Hughes successfully breaking ball to their colleagues allowed them to open up a 0-7 to 0-4 lead. Their points came from James Hughes, Padraic Joyce twice (one free), a 45 from goalkeeper Alan Fahy, Nicky Joyce twice (one free) and the pacy Micheal Boyle.

Cortoon’s scores were supplied by Derek Savage, two Adrian Varley points and Cathal Mulryan. Varley was the main man in the Cortoon attack, and his second effort was well-executed following a quick break out of defence from Alan Boyle and O’Neill. Cortoon’s change of tactic to using short kick-outs worked effectively in the final ten minutes of the first half as they finished strongly. An exstended match report will appear in this week’s Connacht Tribune.