Two goals from Conor Flaherty helps Claregalway past Killannin in Group One encounter
With both sides having lost their opening games in round one, a lot was at stakein this contest and it was Claregalway who seized the initiative from the early exchanges of this Senior Football championship game in Pearse Stadium on Saturday evening as they won in a very convincing manner 3-15 to 1-15.
Goals win games they say and the winners were to find the net on three occasions in the opening quarter and thereafter Kilannin were fighting an uphill battle. Despite the return of Johnny Heaney, Dara Walsh and Ryan Roche to action, they seldom gave an indication that they could overcome their early set back, as they found scores hard to come by.
Now while a Ryan Melia point put the Connemara side ahead briefly, the real damage was starting at the other end as Conor Flaherty fielded high before firing home the opening goal past James Walsh. Dara Walsh and Jack Lonergan exchanged two pointers, before Lonergan and JP McLoughlin were involved in setting up Paddy Commins for their second goal.
The third was to quickly follow as Flaherty fired home a rebound after Walsh made a smart save to deny Morgan Morrin. A Commins two pointer following a breach soon had Claregalway 3-4 to 0-3 clear after 17 minutes.
Now the contributions of Dara Walsh, Brian Mitchell, Cormac Kinnevey and Ryan Melia helped drag Killannin back into the contest as a Cian Folan goal was followed by points from Roche and Enda Kelly. In response, Flaherty and Morrin with a two point effort completed the opening half scoring as Claregalway led by 3-7 to 1-5 at the interval.
Now while Melia again got the first score of the half for Killannin, it was a rare treat as their forward line were really struggling to escape the shackles of Dara Whelan, Daniel Hughes and Cillian O'Callaghan and despite the advantage of the elements they were to get just three scores in 20 minutes, as just Heaney with a two pointer and Enda Kelly with a free could find the range. In contrast, Claregalway were just content to keep picking off the points as Ger O'Riordan (two), Lonergan (two), Flaherty (free), Whelan and Owen Morgan all slotted over to leave matters at 3-14 to 1-9 after 53 minutes.
Killannin brought their tally of two pointers to five when Enda Kelly, Jack O'Toole and Brian Mitchell all converted late efforts, but the possibilities of rescuing something from the game was in reality long gone as Jack Ramsey slotted over the last score of the day at the other end.
In their closing group games, Claregalway will meet Mountbellew-Moylough and with both sides having won once, the winners are ensured of a passage straight to the quarter-finals, while Killannin will meet a Corofin side who have won their two opening games.
Claregalway: E. McGrath; D. Whelan (0-1), M. Morrin (0-2, 2pp), D. Hughes; C. O'Callaghan, J. Glynn, R. Flaherty: D. Tarmey, B. Connolly; JP McLoughlin, J. Lonergan (0-4, 2pp), P. Commins (1-2, 2pf); O. Morgan (0-1), C. Flaherty (2-2, 0-1free), G. O'Riordan (0-2).
Subs: L. O'Connor for McLoughlin (48mins), C. Campbell for Morrin (52mins), J. Ramsey (0-1) for R. Flaherty (55mins), D. Cummins for O'Riordan (55mins).
Killannin: J. Walsh; T. McAndrew, D. Henderson, R. Joyce; C. Kinnevey, J. Heaney (0-2, 2pp) B. Mitchell (0-2, 2pp); D. Walsh (0-4. 2pp, 2pf), R. Roche (0-1); R. Melia (0-2), E. Kelly (0-4, 0-1free, 2pp), J. O'Toole; K. O'Connor, C. Folan (1-0), P. Sweeney.
Subs: C. Marks for Sweeney (inj-9mins), G. Bohan for Folan (Blood-21 mins), Folan for Bohan (31 mins), S. Heffernan for McAndrew (44mins), J. McGauran for Kinnevey (54mins), G. Bohan for O'Connor (54mins).
Referee; James Molloy.