Wasteful Stars still get the job done against Killannin

Tuam Stars 0-14

Killannin 1-9

TUAM Stars may remain in the SFC hunt, but when they analyse the recording of this Group 3 game against Killannin at Kenny Park last Sunday evening, they will see that they made a better job of trying to lose this ‘do or die’ fixture than win it.

It’s not a stretch to say Tuam Stars should have won this tie by 10 plus points. Aside from a plethora of wides, efforts dropped short and shots hitting the woodwork, the victors also missed two first-half penalties.

The first of those was on 27 minutes after the impressive Cormac McWalter, who caused problems throughout, was hauled down. However, the usually reliable Jamie Murphy could not make the spot kick count as he pushed his shot wide of Killannin goalkeeper Shane Sheridan’s right-hand post. The scoreline stayed at 0-7 to 0-4 in Tuam’s favour.

It was a let-off for Killannin but one they took little heed off. Four minutes later, Brian Mannion skipped inside the Killannin cover, only to be caught high by the retreating Sean Thornton. Having been black-carded earlier, Thornton received a yellow for the indiscretion, which led to his expulsion from the contest.

The situation could have got worse for Killannin had Tuam Stars converted the penalty. However, Ben O’Connell, taking over the duty from Murphy, executed his spot kick in the exact same manner, directing wide of Sheridan’s right-hand post once again.

Those misses left the door open for Killannin and seven minutes into the second period they availed of it when a delivery from Johnny Heaney was seized upon by full-forward Patrick Sweeney who was fouled for the game’s third penalty.

Unlike his opponents, Killannin’s Ronan Caldwell showed a little bit more composure and coolly slotted the penalty beyond Jonathan Trayers to leave just a point between the sides – 0-8 to 1-4 –Tuam’s Jamie Murphy having kicked the first point of the second period moments earlier from a free.

That Caldwell penalty ensured the contest remained tight and tense and, by extension, an absorbing affair. Which was just as well as the quality of the play from both teams was, at times, of a poor standard.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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