Annaghdown's three goals shocked Mountbellew-Moylough

By NOEL CARNEY Annaghdown .............................3-4 Mountbellew-Moylough .............0-11 THE VALUE of goals was again highlighted at Tuam Stadium on Sunday evening when the seven scores of Annaghdown proved too much for Mountbellew-Moylough [private]who managed eleven but still found themselves beaten in frustrating fashion and they now enter the qualifiers where they will take on Micheál Breathnachs. One of the main talking points after the game was not the scoring but the awful misses by both sides. Annaghdown kicked no fewer than eleven in the opening half while playing into what is usually referred to as the 'scoring goal' at the town end, and got fifteen in total, while Mountbellew-Moylough missed the target thirteen times over the hour. The standard of football in the first half was poor considering the pedigree of the teams involved and while it did improve afterwards it was, overall, a disappointing contest saved only by the closeness of the scores and the tremendous physical effort and determination of both teams, who could consider themselves candidates for the County title. Both are still in the competition of course, and they know that if they can improve the shooting of their forwards they will be in the running. Scores were scarce and they were tied at 0-2 each after eight minutes with Cathal Kenny (free) and Paul Donnellan pointing for Mountbellew-Moylough with Frankie Burke and Damien Burke replying. Annaghdown, harder hit than most by emigration and retirements, had three wides in the opening four minutes while their opponents kicked four in the first quarter. Then came a breakthrough for the Corrib-siders. Referee Frank Kineen spotted a foul on Damien Burke by Cathal Duffy in the square and not only was the corner-back yellow-carded but a penalty was awarded and Frankie Burke duly hammered the opening goal, with twenty minutes gone. They failed to add to their tally again in the half but, incredibly, it was still good enough for a lead of 1-2 to 0-4 at the break. Stephen Boyle knew he might have got a goal instead of a point before Cathal Kenny drove over the M-Ms' fourth score but they were very much in contention despite six wides in the opening period. It was a game littered with mistakes and wild shooting that must have had the mentors tearing their hair out but there were some good individual performances including those of Fergal O'Doherty and Niall Coleman who was the stand-out player all through. County player Cathal Kenny, who also had a fine game, levelled matters on the resumption but Annaghdown got a second goal when Damien Burke's delivery was deflected to the net by Niall Farragher. When Patrick Joseph Fahy notched a point Annaghdown were 2-3 to 0-5 ahead with twenty minutes remaining and, given the paucity of scores, they had to be fancied to advance. Joseph Meehan, who provided much of the danger to them, then kicked two excellent points but the M-Ms were again hit with a sucker punch. Niall Coleman drove in a superb long kicked pass to Frankie Burke and the tricky full-forward notched goal No. 3. Mountbellew-Moylough, to their credit, never wavered and drove forward in a bid to cut the five-point gap. Cathal Kenny converted a free and they went close to a goal but Paul Donnellan was foiled by a brilliant save from substitute goalkeeper T. J. Forde who had replaced the injured Padraic O'Neill. That save yielded a 45 that netminder Brian Donnellan sent between the posts but sub Christopher Greaney, only seconds on the field, marked his arrival with a crucial score for Annaghdown. It was their only score in the last twenty minutes of play. The M-Ms, meanwhile, continued to surge forward and a foul on Joe Bergin led to a free that Joseph Meehan pointed. When Cathal Kenny caught a Bergin delivery and found the target the deficit was down to two but there it stayed despite plenty of pressure. Annaghdown: P. O'Neill; M. O'Neill, S. Collier, B. Newell; B. Qualter, B. Dooley, F. O'Doherty; A. Pender, N. Coleman; E. Mullarkey, P. J. Fahy (0-1), C. Duggan; D. Burke (0-1, free), F. Burke (2-1), N. Farragher (1-0). Subs: T. J. Forde for P. O'Neill, inj., C. Greaney (0-1), for Fahy; D. Melia, for Duggan; M. Melia, for Pender. Mountbellew-Moylough: B. Donnellan (0-1, a 45); G. Sweeney, A. Sweeney, C. Duffy; J. Moore, R. Murray, M. Geraghty; J. Bergin, C. Colleran; D. Neary, J. Meehan (0-3, one free), P. Donnellan (0-1); S. Boyle (0-1), D. Hogan, C. Kenny (0-5, two frees). Subs: S. Sweeney, for Hogan; C. Crehan, for Neary. Referee: Frank Kineen (St James's). Herald Sport Man of the Match: Niall Coleman (Annaghdown). [/private]