Nothing to divide sides in Tuam

Alan Banks top scores for Cortoon

CORTOON SHAMROCKS 1-14

CLAREGALWAY 0-17

By Martin Nally

At Tuam Stadium

CLAREGALWAY and Cortoon Shamrocks registered their first points in group two of the Intermediate Championship as they couldn't be separated in the wind and rain at Tuam Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

In a game where they were never ahead, Cortoon could have snatched victory at the death, but Joe Donnellan's fisted effort went wide of the posts.

Aided by the wind and the rain in the opening half, it was Claregalway who started the brighter. Matthew Collins struck over a brilliant two-pointer in the opening minute before Eoin O'Toole and Sean O'Callaghan got in on the scoring act.

It took Cortoon until the tenth minute to get their opening score of this contest when Cathal Mulryan popped over a close range effort.

Shane Ó hEochagáin, who was lively throughout the game, struck over his first of the afternoon before Alan Banks got his scoring underway when he converted a '45 in the 15th minute.

Ó hEochagáin extended Claregalway’s lead when he slotted over a free. David Warde's side then produced the move of the match which ended with the ball in the Claregalway net.

David Finnegan brilliantly picked out Luke Dempsey with a pinpoint long-range pass. Dempsey took on his man and instead of taking a point, he offloaded the ball inside to Alan Banks who rifled the ball to the net.

Seàn O'Callaghan replied with a point for James Cooney's team but Mulryan with his second and midfielder, Eoin Fitzpatrick, levelled this tie for the first time.

Ó hEochagáin added a free before Sean Duggan hit a brilliant two-pointer from play. The youthful Luke Dempsey got his first of the afternoon and late points in the half by Ó hEochagáin and Banks meant Claregalway held the lead at half-time, 0-11 to 1-6.

Duggan slotted the ball over the bar as Claregalway started the new half brightly. Dempsey got Cortoon up and running in the second period but their 'keeper, Darragh Glynn, had to be alert moments later to deny Sean O'Callaghan a goal in the 38th minute.

Ó hEochagáin scored another free but Banks replied with a two-score free to cut the deficit to one point.

The sides were level for the second time when Dempsey fired over his third point of the afternoon. Collins and substitute Dylan Rabbitte were then on target as Claregalway led by two with eight minutes left on the clock.

The two evenly matched teams were once again on level terms when Banks showed great composure to convert a two-point free.

Both teams went in search of their first win as the clock approached the red. Sean O'Callaghan converted a free but Cortoon captain, Joe Donnellan, fisted over a point from close range.

A fine individual score by Matthew Collins put Claregalway ahead in the last minute of normal time but Dempsey, who had a brilliant second half, struck over his fourth of the day to level the contest once again.

Then deep in added time, a Claregalway attack broke down and Cortoon worked the ball down to Donnellan who had plenty of options but in the end went for a fisted effort which agonisingly went the wrong side of the posts.

CORTOON SHAMROCKS: D. Glynn; M. Boyle, J. Hogan, M. Shaughnessy; A. Fitzpatrick, D. O'Neill, T. Waugh Bacchus; D. Finnegan, E. Fitzpatrick (0-1); C. Clarke, J. Donnellan (0-1), D. Boyle; C. Mulryan (0-2), L. Dempsey (0-4), A. Banks (1-6, 0-1 '45, two 0-2 frees). Subs: B. Roche, for E. Fitzpatrick, 41 mins; S. Garrett, for Finnegan, 48 mins; C. Hynes, for D. Boyle, 52 mins.

CLAREGALWAY: C. Walsh; M. Coleman, B. Connaughton, E. Corrigan; I. Fitzmaurice, G. Hennessy, E. O'Toole (0-1); B. Morley, M. Concannon; R. Duggan, S. Duggan (0-3, one 0-2 score), M. Collins (0-4, one 0-2 score); S. Ó hEochagáin (0-5, 0-3 frees), C. O'Callaghan, S. O'Callaghan (0-3). Subs: M. Conroy, for C. O'Callaghan, half-time; D. McLaughlin, for Connaughton, 43 mins; D. Rabbitte (0-1), for Fitzmaurice, 50 mins; D. Fox, for Morley, 52 mins.

REFEREE: Muiris Mac Gearáilt.

HERALD SPORT MAN OF THE MATCH: Shared by Alan Banks (Cortoon Shamrocks) and Shane Ó hEochagáin (Claregalway).