Padraig Pearses 0-8 Killimor 1-5. Report by Harry McGee, Connacht Tribune. Dublin and Meath, how are you! Killimor and Pearses will meet for a third time to decide who will claim this year’s Intermediate title, after this drawn replay in Kenny Park Athenry on Sunday. The game was dominated by both sets of backs, intent on achieving a total shut-out. Only four scores came from play during the course of a low scoring game, only one of which came from Pearses, courtesy of centre back, Seamus Lawless — an indication of how both sets of towards struggled to come by scores.
In fairness a fair dose of nerves were probably a contributory factors to the whole affair. When the laurels were handed out it tended to be backs who fared best. The likes of Killimor’s Martin Kelly, Kevin Muldoon, Eamon Hanney and converted midfielder Niall O’Meara, with Pearses having their Togha Fir in the shape of Frank McDonagh, Seamus Lawless, Joe Fahy and County U21 star Francis O’Brien. It was also a day when both goalkeepers Pearses John O’Grady and Tommy Callaghy of Killimor were in fine form.
It look eleven minutes before the first score of the game, a free from Pearses sharpshooter Tom O’Brien. Points were then swapped between Fahy, Seamus Lawless and Killimor’s freetaker Martin Fahy (two) and full forward Matt Donoghue. Then in the 21st minute a good delivery from out the field by Killimor’s Ger Daly was well caught by Vinny Brien who timed his handpass well to the available Martin Fahy, hovering around the small square. Fahy looked like he had lost the ball at first but he recovered possession and hall-scooped half-struck it to the net for a fine goal. It gave his side a lead that Pearses would he fighting to overcome for the rest of the game.
Pearses started off the second half much the more determined, with Francis O’Brien controlling ‘Lár na Páirce’ and Joe Fahy and corner forward PJ Connell showing well in attack. It was to be a middle of the field affair with scores coming as rarely as a a corncrakes call. For the middle fifteen minutes of the half, not one score was recorded, and indeed in the whole half hour Killimor scored but a solitary point, a free from Vincent Brien.
Pearses come back was slow and laborious. Three frees by Tom O’Brien had brought them to within a point by by the 22nd minute. Then three minutes later he scored a marvellous 65 to level off the scores and set up a tense final five minutes. Referee Sean Moran decided (correctly) not to play extra time because of impending darkness. So there will be another day to decide the destination of this year’s Intermediate title.
KILLIMOR: T. Callaghy, B. Lawless, B. Kirwan, D. Horan, M. Kelly. K. Muldoon, P. Finnegan, E. Hanney, N. O’Meara, G. Daly, N. Brody, M. Fahy (1-0), V. Brien (0-3, 2 frees), M. Donoghue (0-1), T. Brien. Subs: J. Malone for O’Meara (inj), M. Quinn for T. Brien.
PEARSES: J. O’Grady, E. Lydon, G. McDonagh, F. McDonagh, J. Carr, S. Lawless (0-1), J. Jenkins, F. O’Brien, D. Roche. J. Fahy, F. Finn, T. O’Brien (0-7, all frees), PJ Connell, M. Carr, Tony O’Brien. Subs: T. Greaney for Roche, M. Brien for Carr.
Referee: S. Moran (Kilconieron).