Pearses 1-18 Athenry 1-18: Pearses recovered well from a slow start to take the lead midway through the second half in this Senior League game played at Ballymacward yesterday evening. An entertaining final quarter seen the teams deadlocked on three occasions before eventually finishing on level terms, with darkness closing in.
Athenry opened the scoring with two points (one free) from corner-forward Mickey Mullins, before Niall Skehill and a Shane Raftery (free) points levelled the game. By the 15th minute Athenry had added 1-4 (1-3 from Mullins), with Pearses’ only reply from Seandamp;aacute;n Hardiman (1-6 to 0-3).
The switch of Tomandamp;aacute;s Flannery from full to centre-forward helped bring him and Pearses into the game. Kerrill Hardiman moving to corner-back put the shackles on Mullins. Flannery hit four points in-a-row (two frees) before Athenry replied with two frees. There were four more points before the break, shared equally, one Pearses point from play by Enda Cunniffe. Half-time: 1-10 to 0-9.
Flannery went off injured shortly before half-time, but returned for the second half and led Pearses in a much better third quarter. Pearses outscored Athenry in this spell, 1-4 to 0-2, to take the lead for the first time, 1-13 to 1-12. The goal a 60 yard Flanneryandamp;nbsp;free, going all the way to the net.andamp;nbsp;
Athenry regained their lead with Mullins (who finished with 1-9) on target from placed balls. In the final twelve minutes Pearses responded each time Athenry tried to pull away, with points from Gelston, Kilkenny, Flannery and Robbie Donnellan. Indeed one of Flannery’s points was a shot for goal, blazing just over the bar, after good work by Robbie Donnellan and Conor O’Grady.
Pearses have now played five League games to date, with two wins (Liam Mellows and Carnmore), two loses and a draw. The remaining game is against Killimordaly, away.
Pearses: Paul O’Brien; Anthony Kenny; Tomandamp;aacute;s Kenny, Brendan Egan; Kerrill Hardiman, Shane Raftery (0-1f), Paul Moore; Jimmy Gelston (0-1), Adrian Bellew; Enda Cunniffe (0-1), Sean Hardiman (0-1), Niall Skehill (0-1); Gary Lally, Tomandamp;aacute;s Flannery (1-11, 1-7f), Brian Sweeney. Subs Used: Aidan Kilkenny (0-1), Damien Wynne, Robbie Donnellan (0-1), Conor O’Grady, Lee Murphy.