Claregalway 2-15

Annaghdown 2-6

By Stephen Glennon at Tuam Stadium

AN injury-hit Annaghdown succumbed to a second loss of the senior football championship – to exit the SFC race at the group stages – following this disappointing defeat to a sharper Claregalway outfit at Tuam Stadium on Sunday.

Claregalway goals in each half from top scorer Jack Mullen and substitute Danny Cummins enabled the victors, who had lost their opener to Tuam Stars, to get their county championship campaign back on track as they coasted to this nine-point triumph.

At times it was all too easy for Claregalway, who really could – and should – have pushed on earlier to the win. As it was, they did kick on late to outscore their opponents 1-5 to a point coming down the home stretch to put their opening round defeat to Tuam Stars well and truly behind them.

For Annaghdown, this has been a horrific championship marred by injuries and, once again, they were forced to field without the pivotal Damien Comer and a plethora of others, including Stephen Curley.

It didn’t help either that Ethan Forde – forced off after only 11 minutes – and the two Kilcommins, Diarmuid and Daithí, also sustained injuries in this contest and, all in all, this just about summed up a luckless campaign.

Yet, for all that, Annaghdown did have the deficit back to four points, 1-6 to 1-10, with just three minutes remaining, after centre-half back Diarmuid Kilcommins, now operating at full-forward after picking up a knock, seized upon a long ball and found the net.

Given Claregalway had dominated possession for a good portion of this fixture, it was somewhat unbelievable that Annaghdown were back in touch – but that feel-good factor did not last long as Claregalway ramped it up again until the final whistle.

Points from substitute Owen Morgan (2), Dara Whelan, the reintroduced Conor Flaherty and Luc O’Connor, along with a goal from replacement Cummins, saw them coast home – despite Annaghdown’s industrious midfielder Eoin Reddington punching a goal off a high ball late on.

Pictured: Eoin Reddington of Annaghdown on the attack against Claregalway’s Daniel Fitzmaurice during Sunday’s Senior Football Group 3 clash at Tuam Stadium. Photos: David Cunniffe.