Pádraig Pearses 1-21 Beagh 1-18
Darren Kelly, The Connacht Tribune
Pádraig Pearses felt the weight of 60 years on their shoulders on Saturday as they held out for a three-point victory in their Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship relegation final, a result maintaining their place among the top two tiers in Galway hurling going back to 1967.
Galway U-20 star Jonah Donnellan was immense at wing-back and scored the Gurteen-Ballymacward side’s crucial goal on 43 minutes. Luke Mitchell and Conor Fahey worked tirelessly in midfield, while Dean Reilly, who suffered a broken jaw in their semi-final against Kinvara, was excellent upon his introduction.
One must also spare a thought for Beagh who’ll be operating as a Junior club next year for the first time since 1978. They rallied after falling five points behind and nearly saved the contest with the final strike.
With three between them in injury-time, Tommy McKeown was put through with just the keeper to beat. But Pearses netminder Harry Mitchell was equal to the task, producing the all-important save and condemning the south Galway side to the drop.
Beagh had tremendous performances from Donnacha Lucey and Cian O’Loughlin and welcomed back former Galway senior Adrian Tuohey from injury. They got off to a strong start, but their opening seven-minute spell produced just an O’Loughlin point.
Pádraig Pearses got going and were 0-7 to 0-2 in front by the quarter hour mark through Donnellan (three), Fahey (two), Cian Murphy and Darren Moran. Mitchell nearly provided a goal only for Lucey to deny him. Daithí Keane converted the second Beagh point.
Beagh eventually settled into a scoring rhythm. Dylan O’Malley, Keane, Kevin Keehan and Tuohey (free) reduced arrears to the minimum on 23 minutes and Eamonn Veale’s charges forged ahead by half-time.
Donnellan made it 0-8 to 0-6 in favour of Pearses before O’Loughlin and McKeown levelled matters for just the second time. Then O’Loughlin and Donnellan traded scores either side of Tuohey blocking an Emmet Ward effort for Pearses. McKeown made it 0-10 to 0-9 in Beagh’s favour at the interval.
Tuohey put two between them on 32 minutes and with Cormac Neilan and Keane also on target, Beagh led 0-13 to 0-11 on 42 minutes. Donnellan and Ward pointed for Pearses and two more from Donnellan equalised the match before the Galway U-20 star received Mitchell’s pass for their 46th minute goal.
Beagh replied as Matthew Rosengrave’s drive set up O’Loughlin who netted from an acute angle to level again. Donnellan and Colm Raftery made it 1-15 to 1-13 to Pearses on 49 minutes, a lead they held until the finish despite five Keane frees keeping Beagh in touch.
Reilly (two), Jack Barrett, Orin Burke, Donnellan and Enda Cunniffe kept the scoreboard ticking for Pearses before McKeown had Beagh’s last chance and Mitchell ensured Pádraig Pearses remained a Premier Intermediate club for 2027.
PÁDRAIG PEARSES: H. Mitchell; P. Kelly, O. Flannery, E. Lally; J. Donnellan (1-10, 0-10 frees), J. Barrett (0-1), E. Cunniffe (0-1); L. Mitchell, C. Fahey (0-2); E. Ward (0-1), R. Flannery, D. Fahey; O. Burke (0-1), D. Moran (0-1), C. Murphy (0-1, free). Subs: D. Reilly (0-2), for Moran, 36 mins; T. Flannery, for D. Fahey, 43 mins; C. Raftery (0-1), for R. Flannery, 43 mins; K. Beckett, for C. Fahey, 60+1 mins.
BEAGH: S. Diviney; E. Mahon, M. Rosengrave, D. Lucey; O. Forde, A. Tuohey (0-2, 0-1 free), S. O’Loughlin; P. Landers, D. Hynes; D. Keane (0-8, 0-7 frees), C. Neilan (0-1), T. McKeown (0-2); C. O’Loughlin (1-3), K. Keehan (0-1), D. O’Malley (0-1). Sub: J. Veale, for Landers, 53 mins.
REFEREE: David Earls.