Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry 0-20 Pearses 1-15. The Club’s Senior hurlers got their 2015 season under way in against Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry yesterday afternoon in Tynagh. There were some good patches of hurling on display, despite February underfoot conditions. The game’s only goal after half-time, put Pearses in three up, but Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry, led by Shane Maloney took back the lead. The teams were on level three times in the second half, before a strong finish by the home side decided it.
The game started with a flurry of scores and after just six minutes, it was 0-3 apiece. Pearses scorers were Ronan Bellew (free), Jimmy Gelston and Emmet Ward. Tomás Flannery also coming close with a goal attempt. Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry opened a two point lead, before a Bellew 65. Two Shane Maloney points either side of a Tomás Flannery point for Pearses made it 0-7 to 0-5 after 21 minutes.
Bellew made it 0-7 to 0-6 from a placed ball before his goal bound shot from a 21, won by Emmet Ward, was stopped. Bellew levelled the game on 27 minutes with a point from play. Pearses then took back the lead for the first time since the third minute, when Jimmy Gelston struck his second point of the game. A Maloney free for Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry left it 0-8 each at half-time.
Pearses had a great start to the second half, when Ronan Bellew cut in from the right hand side to finish to the net from a tight angle, 1-8 to 0-8. Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry hit the next four points to go back in front, the pick of them a sideline cut from Shane Maloney. Pearses had three (Bellew (2) and Ward) of the next five points of the game to leave it level, 0-14 to 1-11 after 48 minutes.
The teams were level again on the 54th minute, but Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry then pulled two clear, 0-17 to 1-12. The game finished like it started with the teams hitting three points each in the closing stages to leave the final score 0-20 to 1-15. Next up for Pearses is Killimordaly in round 2, at home. Details of the fixture to be confirmed.
Pearses: P O’Brien; R Lally, T McDonagh, A Bellew; R O’Neill, D Wynne, K Hardiman; J Gelston (0-3), B Sweeney; R Bellew (1-9), S Hardiman, N Skehill; L Murphy, E Ward (0-2), T Flannery (0-1). Subs used: G Lally, E Cunniffe, K Donnellan, K Beckett, C O’Grady.