Wasteful Pearses let listless county champs off hook

Gort 0-13Padraig Pearses 1-5

STEPHEN GLENNON AT KENNY PARK

COUNTY champions Gort may have escaped by the skin of their teeth with their unbeaten 2012 senior hurling championship record intact but the real story in this exciting clash at Kenny Park, Athenry on Sunday evening was that Padraig Pearses, by and large, left this one behind them.

Although Gort looked a pale shadow of their selves, Padraig Pearses, on the other hand, lifted their game to a height where they asked serious questions of the title holders. Indeed, had the Ballymacward/Gurteen outfit showed some measure of composure throughout, they could have – and, again, should have – seized the day.

Ultimately, they lacked the belief and confidence to topple their more illustrious opponents and this was no more underlined when, having utterly dominated the opening quarter, they hit an incredible seven wides and spurned a penalty.

In this regard, it was an absorbing contest as Pearses worked their proverbial socks off to secure a result while a lethargic Gort looked to be approaching the tie with a certain level of complacency. That this was somewhat beneath them.

That may not – and probably was not – the case but, in any event, Gort did not represent themselves suitably as champions and if plaudits, accolades or laurels were to be handed out upon the conclusion of this tie, they would all have been placed at the door of the Pearses dressing-room. Quite simply, it was a tragedy that they did not yield at least a point from this game.

With a negligible breeze at their backs, Padraig Pearses found the net as early as the second minute when Emmett Ward supplied Tomás Flannery and the full-forward made no mistake with his effort. 

While Gerry Quinn (play and free) replied for the victors, Pearses subsequently indulged in some rash shooting and decision-making to rake up those succession of wides – a Flannery free proving to be their only other score in this quarter.

Of course, there was that penalty opportunity on 13 minutes. A Jimmy Gelston sideline ball was superbly fielded by Flannery who was brought to ground by an out-of-sorts Gort rearguard. Up stepped Cyril Donnellan and although he struck his low effort with purpose, the shot was repelled off the line.

To rub salt in the wound, points from Greg Lally (sideline cut) and Keith Killilea levelled matters by the 16th minute before Gelston and Albert Mullins traded scores shortly after. By the half-time break, however, Gort had nudged ahead as Quinn (free), Killilea and Richie Cummins all tallied while Richie Lally recorded the sole reply for Pearses.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.