Loughrea 5

Colemanstown Utd 1

By Mike Rafferty

LAST season these two teams were promoted to the Premier League  and for the majority of this campaign kept one another company in the lower regions of the table. However, their separation became final on Saturday when Loughrea were always in command in a comfortable success and, in the process. relegated Colemanstown United back down to the Championship.

In truth, they struggled in the top flight throughout the campaign, but despite Colemanstown’s positioning at the foot of the table, they were always competitive. On this occasion, they had numerous opportunities to make this a closer affair, but their finishing was not of the required standard.

From an overall viewpoint. Loughrea were the stronger team as two opening half goals were added to three more on the resumption when with the visitors left themselves exposed as they went chasing the game. The win for Loughrea guaranteed Premier survival for the home side, as St Bernard’s will join Colemanstown in dropping a division next season.

It was the visitors who went closest to an early breakthrough as a post denied Thomas Flannery. For the next half hour the sides cancelled one another out with box to box football, before Loughrea made the breakthrough on 31 minutes when Anthony Burns got a near post flick to a Kieran Bane corner. They added a second just two minutes later when Bruno Hernandez applied the close range finish.

The response of the visitors was positive as Geordan Kenny, Jason Finn, James Colreevy, Padraig Quirke and Thomas Flannery were influential as they tried to get themselves back in the game. Kevin Barrett was on the mark for Colemanstown when the sides last met in a 2-2 draw, but on this occasion he was denied by a smart Steven McCormack save in a one on one situation. Kerrill Hardiman with a free kick, Barrett again and Flannery all threatened without ever really testing McCormack again.

Pictured: Craughwell’s Jack Cheevers and Jacob Broderick of Knocknacarra only have eyes for the ball during the clubs’ Galway U-14 league clash at Cappagh Park. Photos: Joe O’Shaughnessy.