Pearses eventually lost out by 4 points to Ardrahan after a hard fought encounter in this Relegation Playoff in Duggan Park, Ballinasloe on Sunday afternoon. Pearses now await the outcome of the Castlegar and Kinvara replay to see who they face in the final Relegation Playoff.
Ardrahan were first off the mark with a David Greene free, with Tomandamp;aacute;s Flannery on target from a placed ball for Pearses soon after. Galway Senior Iarla Tannian pointed from play to add to Ardrahan’s tally. Then disaster struck for Pearses when recent All-Ireland Minor winner Jonathan Glynn got inside the Pearses defence for the games first goal.
After another David Greene free Pearses were now 5 points adrift and facing an uphill battle, but they calmly played their way back into the game. Flannery got the next two scores from placed balls with Greene on target again before Cormac Ward flicked a dropping ball to the net from the edge of the square, cutting the deficit back to a point. Ardrahan however finished the half the stronger and added 0-4 (Greene 2f, Ger Bond and Brian Murtagh) to Pearses 0-1 (Richie Lally), to leave the Half-time score Ardrahan 1-8 Pearses 1-4.
Greene was first off the mark from another free for Ardrahan just after half time, then Pearses responded with 3 points – a Flannery free and two scores from play by Jimmy Gelston and Damien Wynne. Wynne’s point possibly the score of the game, a super effort from a tight angle on the stand touchline. Greene then bagged two more frees to restore Ardrahan’s half-time lead. Flannery converted another for Pearses before Aidan Kilkenny cut the margin to two. But not the for the first time in this game David Greene then added two more Ardrahan scores.
In a hectic finish Pearses piled the pressure on the Ardrahan goal in a desperate attempt to salvage a result from this game. Cyril Donnellan went for goal from a free only to see his attempt tipped over. Tempers then flared at the town end and Ardrahan full-back Damien O’Shaughnessy was red carded in injury time. Ardrahan however held on for a 4 point victory and retain their long standing Senior status for another year. Pearses head for the Last Chance Saloon.
Pearses: F. Flannery; A. Kenny, T. Kenny, P. Raftery; T. McDonagh, S. Raftery, K. Hardiman; A. Kilkenny (0-1), S. Hardiman; D. Wynne(0-1), C. Donnellan (0-1f), J. Gelston (0-1); T. Flannery (0-5f), C. Ward (1-0), R. Lally (0-1). Sub: K. Hillary for C. Ward.