Liam Mellows secure knockout spot in Galway SHC

Conor Elwood of Liam Mellows blocking Ronan Hainiffy of Oranmore/ Maree at Kenny's Park, Athenry.Photograph: Hany Marzouk

Galway SHC

Liam Mellows 2-13 Oranmore/Maree 0-17 

Liam Mellows, champions in 2017 and runners-up for the past two years to St Thomas, used all their experience to see off a much improved Oranmore/Maree side at Kenny Park in Athenry to book a place in the knockout stages of the Galway SHC.

It was a winner-takes-all clash and it was no surprise when the intensity spilled over on a few occasions but Louis Mulqueen’s men did enough to book a preliminary quarter-final clash next weekend against Gort.

Oranmore/Maree, with former All-Ireland winners Gerry McInerney and Pat Malone in their management team, put in a fine display but their failure to open up a bigger gap when they were on top in the opening half proved costly.

Mulqueen has instilled a lot of composure in the city side and they never panicked, even when they fell 0-9 to 0-4 behind going into injury-time in the opening half, having failed to get a single score from play to then on an evening when a Crossfield wind didn’t help either side.

But Mellows finished the half in a flourish. A long ball from Adrian Morrissey had danger written all over it as it dropped from the sky and Conor Hynes promptly pounced on the breaking ball to flash it to the net.

Oranmore/Maree, who had done most of the hurling up to then, responded with an immediate Conor Hanniffy point but it was clear from the body language that the goal had eroded a lot of confidence.

A fifth free of the half from Tadhg Haran made it 0-10 to 1-5 at the break, with county player Niall Burke leading the way for Oranmore/Maree with five points from a variety of angles.

Oranmore/Maree, who finished with eleven wides, many of them from very good positions, paid for their inaccuracy when Mellows hit them for 1-2 in a three-minute spell.

Former Galway player Aonghus Callanan pointed and then Haran blasted home a penalty after Conor Kavanagh was fouled and a fine effort from Jack Forde made it 2-7 to 0-10 after 36 minutes.

Burke kept Oranmore/Maree in the game and former All-Ireland minor winner Ross Malone got his second point from a superb line ball, but Mellows kept their noses in front and closed out the game with former Galway captain David Collins manning a defence that rarely looked like conceding a goal.

Scorers for Liam Mellows: T Haran (1-8, 6f, 1-0 pen, 0-1 ’65), C Hynes (1-0), C Kavanagh (0-2), J Forde, A Callanan, A Morrissey (0-1 each).

Scorers for Oranmore/Maree: N Burke (0-11, 8f, 1 ’65), C Hanniffy (0-2), R Malone 0-2 (0-1 lineball), R Hanniffy, M Hanniffy (0-1 each).

LIAM MELLOWS: K Walsh; S Barrett, D Collins, S Minton; M Hughes, C Elwood, S Morrissey; T Haran, K Lee; A Morrissey, J Forde, J Hastings; C Hynes, A Callanan, C Kavanagh.

Subs: D McPeake for Callanan (48), S Killeen for Lee (25).

ORANMORE/MAREE: R McInerney; N Geoghegan, S Geoghegan, A Bannon; E Geraghty, G McInerney, E Burke; R Malone, M Hanniffy; K Burke, P Hanniffy, N Burke; R Hanniffy, S McInerney, P Keane.

Subs: L Keane for N Geoghegan (9), M Quinn for S Geoghegan (37), S Dunne for K Burke (44), M Keane for P Keane (53).

Referee: John McDonagh (Kinvara).