This was a lively Championship Round 2 encounter played in terrible conditions in Ballymacward earlier. The wind had its part to play throughout. Pearses were first to score (Gary Hennelly), but Sarsfields responded and moved ahead. Ronan Bellew then pointed a Pearses free before Sarsfields pulled two points clear. Brian Sweeney landed two points for Pearses, to level the game.
Sarsfields then had their most dominant period of the game, hitting 4 points on the trot. Pearses replied with a Hennelly point, but Sarsfields added 2 more to lead 0-11 to 0-6. Pearses then struck for a tonic Keith Connell goal before the break and so after the Sarsfields’ dominance there was just 2 points between the sides at the interval.
The first score of the second half was a Tom Carr goal in the 8th minute, after the keeper had saved the initial effort, to put Pearses in the lead. However Sarsfields went straight down the field and found the net themselves to restore their lead and looked to have killed off the Pearses challenge with another goal shortly afterwards, 2-11 to 2-6.andamp;nbsp;
However, Sarsfields would not score for the remaining 13 minutes as Pearses, point-by-point, narrowed the gap, before a last minute point by Gary Hennelly levelled the scores. It was appropriate that Hennelly should hit the equaliser as he had been excellent throughout. Pearses are scheduled to play Kilconieron next weekend. Details to be confirmed.
Pearses (starting): Finbar Healy; Darren Naughton, Thomas Broderick, Seandamp;aacute;n Murray; Alan Naughton, Ronan Bellew (0-3), Paul Lally; John Lally, Ronan O’Neill; Darragh Kelly, Gary Hennelly (0-5), Brian Sweeney (0-3); Tom Carr (1-0), Keith Connell (1-0), Lee Murphy.