Pádraig Pearses and Roscommon herald a new hero

sPaul Carey started yesterday’s game in Ballina as one of the brightest prospects in Roscommon club football. He ended it as Player of the Match, the topic of conversation all across the country, and a strong contender to feature prominently in Anthony Cunningham’s already-heavyweight attacking unit later this year.

Pádraig Pearses winning the AIB Connacht club football championship and becoming just the fifth club from the county to win the Shane McGettigan cup was the headline story of the afternoon, but anyone in attendance at James Stephens Park, or who tuned in to live coverage of the game on TG4, was blown away by the incredible display of scoring from the 21-year-old corner forward.

Two years ago, he played a key role as impact sub and eventually starter for Pearses when they won their first ever Roscommon title. Yesterday, he was earmarked as one of the main threats in their forward line, and still he ran riot, hitting the target with every shot on goal.

It was no less than manager Pat Flanagan expected.

“Paul had a super game today. He had a couple of quiet games in the past but he really stood up and showed the quality that he has. I said it to him before the game to have belief in himself” said the Offaly native.

“Sometimes Paul doesn’t believe in how good he can be but he really stood up to the mark today, I don’t know what he scored, but some of the points he kicked from play were exceptional”.

Flanagan particularly paid tribute to his score immediately after the water break, hooked over the bar from 30 metres out, that broke Knockmore’s run of scoring 1-2 without reply.

“It was the turning of the game. Had they scored another point straight after the water break it would have caused us a lot of tension and pressure on the pitch itself but for Paul to score that point, it kind of gave us back the initiative, and we needed every score we got at that stage of the game, as you saw at the end”.