Concannon’s switch helps Killimordaly earn a draw

Killimordaly 2-16

THE return to championship hurling after 14 weeks saw a game that showcased the best and worst traits of a hard fought tussle, perfect conditions bringing us an exhilarating and open game but one plagued with hard hits and brawls that can come with what felt like a must win game for both sides.

In a clash where both teams went through purple patches of dominance, it took a last gasp free from Beagh’s Rory Gantley to earn his side a first point of the campaign – however the finish was marred by another scuffle seconds after the final whistle.

The incident was one of several altercations throughout a tough contest where referee Gerry Donohue was tested to his limits to keep control of an absorbing battle that saw 13 of the 40 scores come from placed balls.

On a warm evening in Loughrea, Beagh got the scoring under way after three minutes when Kevin Keehan pointed from the corner, but it was soon cancelled out by a fine score from Paul Creaven who grabbed the sliotar out of the sky before darting forward to equalise. Subsequently, a quick interception saw Eanna Ryan put the finishing touches to an impressive team move.

David Concannon was an early influence and after making a fine catch set up a score for Tomas Madden and then intercepted the resulting puck out to tee it up for Brian Burke to split the posts, but his dominance didn’t last long as county player Adrian Tuohey, who had an excellent match, quickly did likewise in setting up two for Evan Hunt.

With the sides deadlocked at 0-5 apiece after the first quarter and retention of pucks outs varying drastically, what was soon becoming evident was Killimordaly’s aggressive tackling that saw both Conor Daly and Eanna Ryan booked for poorly timed challenges.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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