Mature Mellows still on track for another final appearance
Liam Mellows 1-21
Oranmore/Maree 1-14
STEPHEN GLENNON AT PEARSE STADIUM
OUTSCORING their opponents by six points to one in the final 10 minutes of this entertaining SHC preliminary quarter-final at Pearse Stadium on Saturday, Liam Mellows hinted that they may be rediscovering the form that saw them contest the past two county finals.
The 2017 champions were excellent for the most part — they led 1-10 to 0-7 at half-time — with their most difficult period coming in the third quarter when Oranmore/Maree rallied to cut the deficit to just two points after the outstanding Niall Burke converted a 40th minute penalty.
Referee Alan Kelly pointed to the penalty spot after Sean McInerney was fouled and when Burke dispatched his effort, it left three points between the sides. Minutes later, Burke, following good work from substitute Martin Keane and Ronan Hanniffy, added a point and the margin was down to two.
It was a credit to the reigning All-Ireland intermediate champions that they put themselves in such a position, particularly given they had fallen seven points in arrears after Liam Mellows’ Conor Kavanagh, his side’s first half goalscorer, shot a point within 10 seconds of the restart.
However, with Burke unerring on the placed balls throughout, he struck 1-5 — including that point from play — in the third quarter to haul his side back into contention. Conor Hanniffy then traded with Kavanagh and with 10 minutes to go, Gerry McInerney’s outfit was just 1-13 to 1-15 in arrears.
Mellows, though, were not to be denied and, putting their third quarter slump behind them, they kicked on in the closing stages. The impeccable Tadgh Haran converted four frees, rampaging centre-half back Stephen Barrett struck a brilliant point on the run, and Jack Forde shot his second of the evening in injury-time to impressively bring this result home.
Oranmore/Maree’s sole riposte came from Conor Hanniffy, although Niall Burke did come close to goal off a long range free — one of three the losers dropped in around the square—as they sought to conjure up another goal. Yet, it was not to be.
In truth, Liam Mellows had done a lot of the hard graft in the opening half. Haran (free) and Oranmore/Maree midfielder Niall Geoghegan exchanged points in a lively opening before Jack Forde and Conor Hynes combined to set up Kavanagh for the City side’s third-minute goal.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.