Former kingpins Killererin still alive after extra time

Killererin 0-18

(After Extra Time)

Mark Walsh at Tuam Stadium

LOCAL derby matches are generally feisty affairs when it comes to senior championship ties and the first game played at Tuam Stadium on Sunday was no different. Killererin had beaten Cortoon by a single point when the two sides had met in the league earlier this year and, as expected, there was not an inch given by either side in an intense, gripping encounter.

The fifth and final team to enter the relegation play-offs will have to wait until whenever the replay is fixed as extra time could not separate the teams. One suspects Killererin will be the happier of the two as they were twice rescued by late Padraic Joyce points in normal and extra time. Cortoon had led for long periods of normal time but could not put Killererin away.

Being forced to play with 14 men after Matthew Concannon had received his marching orders for two bookable offences from the 42nd minute eventually took its toll on Cortoon. They had entered the final ten minutes with a two point lead, but dropped the majority of their team behind the ball in order to close the game out. This is not necessarily a criticism of Cortoon as they were forced to defend heavily being a man down.

The feeling that Killererin would get something from the game was always strong, however, and it was left to the wily Padraic Joyce to level matters with the last kick of normal time with a free he had earned himself. Brion Gilmore and his defensive colleagues had negated his influence in the first half at the edge of the square as sweeper systems were employed by both teams.

Joyce was far more influential in the second half following his switch to centre-forward after half time. While it may not have been pretty on the eye at times, the tactical defensive battle that permeated the second half of normal time especially was still interesting to observe.

 The first quarter of normal time had witnessed some fine score taking from both teams. Cortoon led 1-3 to 0-4 as Adrian Varley picked out Cathal Mulryan for the opening goal with a delightful pass over the heads of the Killererin defence before twice finding the range off his weaker left foot; Derek Savage got Cortoon’s other point.

Shane Hughes, Padraic Joyce, Tom Hughes and Damien Flaherty replied for Killererin. All of these points had come from play but thereafter the respective defensive systems took over as David Warde and Savage, twice, slotted frees for Cortoon. Three Nicky Joyce points, two coming from frees, left the half time score 1-6 to 0-7 to Cortoon.Read more in this week's Connacht Tribune