Carnmore 0-16 Pearses 2-9: Pearses exited the race for this year’s County Cup in a rain soaked Kenny Park, Athenry on Sunday evening, as Carnmore prevailed by the minimum. Sharpshooter Kevin Killilea was deadly from placed balls,andamp;nbsp;particularlyandamp;nbsp;in the second half and accounted for 0-9 (all frees) of Carnmore’s 0-16 total.
George Hanley opened the scoring for Carnmore with a line cut into the scoreboard end. Emmett Ward and Killilea swapped three pointed frees, 0-3 to 0-1. Ronan Bellew, started at corner-forward but assumed a roving role and it was his low delivery to the edge of the Carnmore square that found Tom Flannery who flashed the sliotar to the net, to give Pearses the lead on fifteen minutes.
This was every inch the Championship battle and Cormac Ward seen yellow when he reacted to being held back on the stand-side sideline. In the second Quarter Carnmore outscored Pearses 0-4 to 0-2. Two of the Carnmore scores long range from backs, Ciarandamp;aacute;n Murray and Eoin Grealish. Pearses’ scores came from Emmett Ward frees, to leave the sides level, 1-4 to 0-7 at half time.
Carnmore had their best period of the game just after half-time, adding four points by the seventh minute, from George Hanley and two Kevin Killilea frees. Indeed they might have been further ahead, but for the intervention of Tomandamp;aacute;s Kenny to prevent a Carnmore goal at the town end. Cormac Ward broke the Carnmore dominance when he tapped over, following a Tom Flannery pass.
Then against the run of play Pearses netted a second goal. Good work by Gary Lally created the chance for Flannery and he first timed it to the net, level again. Ward and Killilea shared the next four points from frees. Carnmore pulled ahead again, Tom Flannery equalised on 25 minutes. Carnmore were awarded two frees, one questionable. Both opportunities were taken by Killilea to open a two-point lead.
Pearses were now throwing everything at Carnmore to try and rescue the game. A 21 yard Fearghal Flannery free was deflected over the bar, to reduce it to the minimum. Unfortunately that’s how it remained. Final Score: 0-16 to 2-9.
Pearses now enter a Shield Qualifier / Relegation Group withandamp;nbsp;Castlegar,andamp;nbsp;Kiltormer, Kinvara, Liam Mellows and the loser of St Thomas v Craughwell. Carnmore enter the Group stages.
Pearses: F Flannery (0-1); A Kenny, T Kenny, R Lally; T McDonagh, S Raftery, K Hardiman; J Gelston, A Bellew; S Hardiman, C Ward (0-1), T Flannery (2-1); G Lally, E Ward (0-6f), R Bellew. Subs used: C Raftery, K Donnellan and B Sweeney.