Clarinbridge pushed all the way by dogged Cashel side

Castlegar 2-22

Clarinbridge were very short favourites to see off Castlegar in this contest in Pearse Stadium on Sunday afternoon, but matters were not that comfortable, as it took a late scoring blast to eventually see them get over the line.

In the process they were making it three wins in succession as they advanced directly to the quarter-final draw, while Castlegar finished third and in the process set up a preliminary quarter-final meeting with Sarsfields.

Throughout their campaign it is the ability of Clarinbridge to score goals that has seen them accumulate big tallies, and two more in each half on this occasion were pivotal in them eventually winning.

While two in the opening half helped ease them to a five point interval, it was a reward for a competent display as they faced a considerable wind, but it was two more in the closing minutes that really sealed the result for David Forde's charges.

They had really come under pressure from a rejuvenated Castlegar in which Cillian O'Callaghan was both the hero and villain, as his early second-half goal on 36 minutes gave his side a kickstart, but was quickly followed by a second yellow card offence and now his side were down to 14 players.

A second goal on 51 minutes levelled matters, before a Jack Coyne score put Castlegar ahead for the first time in the game, but that was the signal for Clarinbridge to up their game and a 2-2 scoring blast in the closing 10 minutes was to eventually turn matters their way and give them a merited victory.

While it was Castlegar who had wind advantage in the opening half, it was Clarinbridge who set the early standard as two pointed frees by Evan Niland were followed by two from play by brother Aaron.

Unsurprisingly, it was free-taker Ger Farragher who led the Castlegar revival as he converted frees from all sorts of distances to keep his side in the game and by the 12th minute the sides were level, as two frees and a 65 from their main marksman and Jack Coyne tied matters at four apiece.

The sides were level on three further occasions over the next few minutes as Evan Niland (two) and Mark Kennedy edged their side ahead, only for Cillian O’Callaghan, Farragher (free) and Greg Thomas to respond at the other end at matters lay at 0-7 each after 16 minutes.

Pictured: The Clarinbridge duo of TJ Brennan and Conor Lee put the pressure on Castlegar’s Ger Farragher in Pearse Stadium on Sunday. Photo: Joe O’Shaughnessy.