Burrishoole earn precious point in Crossmolina

Burrishoole take point


Division 1A
Crossmolina  0-15
Burrishoole  2-9

Anton McNulty
Crossmolina

TWO second half goals by Burrishoole ensured they came away from St Tiernan’s Park with a share of the points in an exciting game which saw five points kicked in the final five minutes of the game.
It will come as no surprise to learn that it was Mayo’s scoring sensation, Jason Doherty, who scored one of the goals and had a hand in the other as Crossmolina saw a five-point lead wiped out during the second half.
Doherty converted a penalty on 42 minutes and four minutes later his goalbound shot was saved by Colm Reilly in the Crossmolina goal, but Damien Grady fisted the rebound to the net.
Following these two scores the game was in the balance right up until the final whistle with both sides trading points repeatedly. Damien Grady put Burrishoole ahead on 55 minutes but points from Brian Benson and Ian Rowland (who finished with six points to his credit) eased the Deel Rovers into the lead four minutes later.
However right at the death, Burrishoole substitute Kevin Keane kept his nerve to give the West Mayo men a deserved share of the spoils.
While John Maughan’s charges were more economical in front of goal, they did ride their luck more than once in the first half and had to thank Colm Reilly for bailing them out.
He somehow denied Doherty a certain goal in the tenth minute when he managed to get his fingers to the ball to deny the prolific striker. A minute later, Doherty sent Damien Grady into the clear but he fired wide. In the 20th minute Reilly again denied Doherty.
Crossmolina were in control of the opening exchanges with Ian Rowland scoring four points in the first quarter. It looked like it would be a long evening for Colm McManamon and company but, to their credit, they rallied and scores from Doherty and Padraic McManamon reduced the deficit.
The Deel Rovers were finding it easier to hit the target though and they led by 0-8 to 0-4 at half-time.
Jason Doherty opened the second half scoring with a ’45 a minute after the restart, but two further points from Paul Duffy and Ciaran McDonald gave Crossmolina a five-point cushion on 37 minutes.
Burrishoole needed a break and the got it when referee Martin Walsh awarded them a penalty when he adjudged that Jason Doherty’s shot on goal was blocked by the foot of a Crossmolina defender. He made no mistake with the penalty, sending Reilly the wrong way.
The game now started to take off with far more pace and urgency from both sides. Crossmolina looked like they had weathered Burishoole’s initial resurgence when they scored two quick points.
However, they were dealt a blow when CiarΡn McDonald left the field injured and the teams were soon level when Damien Grady found the back of the net.
Burrishoole took the lead when Pat Mulchrone pointed with seven minutes remaining but Crossmolina went up the field and Brian Benson equalised with a free.
It was anyone’s game at that stage and the visitors put themselves in pole position when Damien Grady pointed. However, Crossmolina refused to buckle and looked like they had won it but Kevin Keane kept his cool in the final attack of the game.

Crossmolina
C Reilly; C Moyles, J Keane, S Duffy; P Gardiner, M Gallagher, D Keating (0-1); C McDonald (0-2); J Cafferty; P Duffy (0-1), I Rowland (0-6), M Loftus (0-1); B Benson 0-3, 2fs), G Walsh (0-1), S Rochford.
Subs used: J O’Brien for S Duffy, D Hegarty for C McDonald (inj).

Burrishoole
S Nevin; D Nevin, M Joyce, J Sammon; D Keane, A Moran, P Mulchrone; P Holmes, P McManamon (0-1); D Grady (1-1), P Mulchrone (0-1), M Moran (0-2, 1f); E McManamon, D Keane, J Doherty (1-3, 1-0pen, 2 ’45s).
Subs used: S McDermott for D Keane; K Keane (0-1) for E McManamon; F Hughes for A Moran.

Referee: M Walsh (Ballintubber)