Annaghdown   1-15

Milltown 0-15

By Mike Rafferty  at Tuam Stadium

FOR the second game in succession a Damien Comer goal was the difference as Annaghdown edged out Milltown in a competitive senior football championship Group 4 tie Tuam Stadium on Sunday evening.

Last time out, Comer’s late net buster allowed his side see off Barna by two points and, on this occasion, his 44th minute goal gave Annaghdown a margin that they just about held throughout the fourth quarter.

However, Milltown will have regrets and having two players black carded at the same time in that closing spell certainly did not help their case.

With the sides level for the third time in the game, the breakthrough goal came when referee Martin Flaherty deemed that Milltown goalkeeper Anthony Coyne took too long with his kickout. The resulting throw-in was fielded by Comer and in his swashbuckling style, he somehow made space before blasting a left footed rocket to the net to put Annaghdown 1-10 to 0-10 ahead. It gave them a cushion that Milltown could not close as the sides almost matched one another score for score in a frantic closing spell.

With the game just a minute old, Annaghdown were struck a big blow when they lost full-back Enda Mullarkey to injury and he was replaced by Ryan Sheridan. With the wind blowing across the pitch, it gave any opening half advantage going to Milltown, but they secured just one score in the opening quarter as an Eoin Mannion free cancelled out an earlier Diarmuid Kilcommins point at the other end.

Pictured: Diarmuid Kilcommins of Annaghdown has Milltown’s Cathal Blake in hot pursuit during Sunday’s senior football championship tie at Tuam Stadium. Photos: David Cunniffe.