There was high drama at Kenny Park in Athenry on Sunday evening when a point in the final minute saw Carnmore secure the last place in the Galway SHC preliminary quarter-finals and condemn neighbours and arch rivals Turloughmore to the relegation dogfight.

Carnmore lost their final group game by 2-14 to 0-16 to Sarsfields but a point from Shane Hynes in the final minute was enough for them to claim the last place in the knockout stages by virtue of a better points difference.

Turloughmore - ironically the club which proposed the new structure which sees four from five go through - needed Carnmore to lose by more than four points in order for them to avoid the relegation battle and actually claim a place in the final sixteen.

The two sides had drawn when they met and had identical scoring differences after Sunday night's match but now Carnmore go through by virtue of having scored more.

Sarsfields, who had already secured their place in the knockout stages, were the better team at Kenny Park with Kerrill Wade shooting a 21-yard free to the net that helped them to a 1-10 to 0-11 interval lead.

Noel Kelly brought his tally to 1-4 from play when he found the net with five minutes remaining but Carnmore refused to give up and Shane Hynes' seventh point of the game - six of them from frees - was enough to save the day and send them through to the knockout stages.

The preliminary quarter-finals will take place in September when All-Ireland champions Portumna will take on the most prolific winners of the title, Castlegar, while the derby clash of Clarinbridge and Ardrahan will also be one of the ties of the round.

Turloughmore will battle it out in the relegation round robin with Ballinderreen, Padraig Pearses and Mullagh with two of the four dropping to intermediate next season.

Galway SHC preliminary quarter-finals:
Portumna v Castlegar; Gort v Carnmore; Liam Mellows v Kiltormer; Craughwell v Sarsfields; Athenry v Beagh; St Thomas v Kinvara; Tommie Larkins v Loughrea; Clarinbridge v Ardrahan.

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