Galway minor footballer Declan Walsh saved Barna’s bacon on Saturday evening at Pearse Stadium with a peach of a goal to force extra-time against An Cheathrú Rua. Barna’s fate looked sealed as they trailed by 0-9 to 0-12 but super-sub Walsh buried to the net with the last kick of the game, sending Pat Fallon’s men to extra-time for the third time in this championship. The extra-time experience against Killererin and Naomh Anna Leitir Mór in the earlier rounds clearly stood to Bearna as they outscored An Cheathrú Rua in extra-time by four points to one. The final score was Bearna 1-13, An Cheathrú Rua 0-13. Jason Lyons proved the hero in extra-time, landing three points, while Tom Curran, who was Bearna’s best player over the 80-plus minutes, also got a point to send them through to the next round. The win, which seemed unlikely with just a few minutes on the clock and An Cheathrú Rua holding a four-points advantage, means that Bearna’s senior status is now secure for another year at least. The club had been battling it out in the past two years in relegation dogfights but Barna can now look forward to participating at the business end of the championship. Barna , backed by a strong enough wind, went in at the break leading by 0-7 to 0-5, thanks to three points from Tom Curran and white flags from DD Flaherty, Paddy Kennedy and a brace from Jason Lyons. DD landed a free after the turnaround but Barna experienced a barren spell for over 20 minutes as An Cheathrú Rua took control and cruised into a 0-12 to 0-8 advantage with just five minutes to go. Barna never gave up though, and when Ray Conneely reduced the deficit to three points, they went all out in search of an equalising goal, which Declan Walsh duly delivered. Meanwhile, the juniors recorded a fine win on Sunday to make it a championship double last weekend for the club’s two adult teams. The juniors led Moycullen by 1-4 to 0-6 at half-time in Oughterard and, despite having a penalty saved and leaving a heap of scores behind them, Barna pressed on for a 2-9 to 0-12 win with the younger substitutes making a big impression when introduced.
