All-Ireland club champions Portumna made it three wins from three in their penultimate game in the group stages of the Galway SHC - but they were pushed all the way by a battling Carnmore side.

INSPIRATIONAL... Mark Kerins, pictured here playing for Galway, helped fire Clarinbridge to a big win over Padraig Pearses. Photo: David Maher / SPORTSFILE.

Indeed, George Clancy came within a whisker of making it three draws from three for Carnmore but his goalbound effort was smothered in the dying seconds as Portumna held on for a 1-13 to 0-13 win. It was far from vintage stuff from Portumna but yet they always held an edge, with a Joe Canning goal helping them to a 1-8 to 0-7 lead.

Shane Hynes kept Carnmore in touch with three points in the second-half but the goal they needed to overhaul the champions just would not come.

There was late drama in Loughrea on Saturday evening when Ardrahan's Shane Hanley blasted home a goal in the second minute of stoppage time to salvage a 2-11 to 1-14 draw against St Thomas.

The result sees both teams into the knockout stages and condemns Mullagh to the relegation dogfight. A George Murray goal saw St Thomas lead by double scores at the interval and they were well worth their 1-7 to 0-5 lead.

However, Ardrahan were a different outfit in the second-half and a Niall Greene goal gave their challenge real impetus before Hanley produced his last-gasp equaliser.

It has been an indifferent campaign for Clarinbridge but they went on a scoring spree against a Padraig Pearses side who have now lost all four group games.

Mark Kerins was inspirational, shooting 1-11, as they got their championship challenge back on track. Kerins and younger brother Alan found the net as Clarinbridge led by 2-14 to 0-6 at half-time. Pearses, to their credit, refused to give up and Cyril Donnellan – who finished with 1-7 – found the net and a second goal from Padraig Hillery helped reduce the deficit to 2-18 to 2-9 at one stage. However, Clarinbridge pulled away again in the final quarter with David Forde bringing his tally to 1-3 with a fine strike as they ran out 19-points winners.

There was late drama on Sunday evening as Liam Mellows came with a late surge to turn a three-point deficit into a 2-10 to 0-15 winning lead in the dying seconds.

The sides were deadlocked at 0-7 each at the break before an Aonghus Callanan goal gave Liam Mellows an advantage.

However, Gort responded with a string of points from Aidan Harte, Gerry Quinn and Sean Forde before they were rocked with a second Callanan goal from a free in the dying moments.

And the city side were not content with that as Galway star John Lee landed a winning point to ensure their place in the knockout stages.

Meanwhile Rathún-An Chaisleán Nua secured progress in the IHC with an easy 1-19 to 2-5 victory against Clarinbridge in Athenry on Saturday.

A string of Martin Kelly points helped build the Rathún-An Chaisleán Nua lead and Brian Cloherty's second-half goal ended the game as a contest.

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