Connacht U-16 Hurling Championship: Padraig Pearses 3-7 Kinvara 1-6
Pádraig Pearses became Connacht U-16 hurling champions after they overcame Kinvara in Athenry last Saturday. Kinvara started brightly but were limited to one point in the opening ten minutes by a determined Pearses back line.
Pearses then broke up the other end of the field and won a penalty when Oisin Kelly was pulled down. Paul Carey stepped up to blast home and settle Pearses. Despite a first half Kinvara goal, Pearses lead by a point at half-time: Pearses 1-4 Kinvara 1-3.
Pearses then upped the tempo in the second half with two quick points from Oisin Kelly added to his tally before Patrick Grehan followed up his initial shot and stroked in Pearses’ second goal to make it 2-6 to 1-3. This was added to by another Oisin Kelly point before two from Kinvara narrowed the gap again heading into the closing stages.
Charles Nevin, however, booted home a late Pearses goal to kill off Kinvara and give Pearses a richly deserved win.
Pádraig Pearses: L Corbett; J Burke, K Blackwire, M Comerford; D Finn, P Carey (1-0), C Lohan; A Flood, D Farrell; M Kelly, K Grenham (0-1), P Galvin; O Kelly (0-5, 1 free), C Nevin (1-1), P Grehan (1-0). Subs used: S Maloney for Galvin, L Creavin for Kelly.
