Castlegar turn the screw in relegation play-off replay

Castlegar 1-10Kinvara 0-6

Cian O’Connell at Ballinderreen

TYPICAL relegation scrap conditions of wind and rain turned Saturday's crucial encounter at Ballindereen into a bruising battle, but Castlegar embraced the challenge with the intensity and desire of a team anxious to avoid a drop to the intermediate ranks.

Kinvara, County SHC finalists in 2007, now have an hour to save themselves when facing Pearses in what promises to be an equally gruelling encounter. A week previously when Castlegar and Kinvara collided in Clarinbridge. there was no shortage of fluid hurling, but the replay was simply about heart and honesty.

Castlegar, who could have wallowed in seld pity following a late lapse in the first match when allowing Kinvara force a scarcely deserved draw, weren't going to be denied second time around. Even if Cashel weren't as crisp, mainly because of the conditions, Padraic Connolly had them in the correct mindset again.

Considering Cashel's storied past, the weight and burden of tradition has arguably bothered teams from the club in the past couple of decades since the glory years, but the past fortnight has seen them adopt a back to basics policy and it has served them well. Connolly's encouragement from the line has given those out on the field an opportunity to express themselves and that is exactly what they did when it truly mattered against Kinvara.

The opening period followed a similar pattern to the drawn match with Cashel hurling well without ever pulling away from a plucky Kinvara, who have been ravaged by injuries. Those problems basically left Kinvara with little option, but to include David Huban and Ger Mahon in their full forward line as the South Galway club knew the costly implications a defeat would bring.

Even with the weather woeful it still was a game that was both wholehearted and entertaining for the large crowd who gathered inside the stand for shelter. It was tough and tense without ever being mean and Cashel were moving that bit more smartly in attack, where the return of Kevin Brady injected further urgency.

Keen to make an early statement, Cashel sprung from the blocks accumulating a 0-5 to 0-1 advantage by the 17th minute. In a tie that was always likely to be low scoring, the winners were inflicted damage as Ger Farragher (2), Mairtin Cullinane (2) and Brady all found the range.

Brady was craving involvement while Cullinane was effective pulling the strings on the 'forty', making himself available and generally just ensuring that Kinvara were being pinned back by a determined Castlegar side. In the minutes before the interval, Kinvara did improve significantly with Huban's physique and skill causing their rivals problems.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.