GAA
Ace attacker Walsh shows the way for lively Galway U21s
Young Tribesmen show plenty of resolution to edge out wasteful Mayo in hard fought semi-final battle
Galway 0-9
Mayo 0-7
Dara Bradley at Tuam Stadium
GALWAY qualified for the Cadbury’s Connacht U21 football final – and dumped Mayo out of the championship – with a hard fought and merited two points win over their rival neighbours at Tuam Stadium on Saturday evening.
Mayo had enough possession to win it; they had enough shots at the posts to win it, but ultimately they were wasteful and relied too heavily on senior county player, Cillian O’Connor.
At half time, Galway were up by just a point and facing the prospect of playing against a bizarre, stiff and bitterly cold wind that swept cross-field and towards the town end goal.
Added to that, Mayo had weathered an early Galway storm, looked to have the measure of the midfield sector; and when the Tribesmen had gone almost 20 minutes of the first half leading up to half-time without registering a score, the omens didn’t look too good for the home side.
After the interval, Alan Flynn’s charges showed immense character, however, with a defiant display that proved they have the bottle and temperament to withstand the pressure in tight squeezes such as this.
Twice early in the second half Mayo drew level but almost instantly – and stubbornly – Galway responded and nudged in front again, which was a psychological blow to the visitors, stifling their efforts to build momentum and had an even greater impact on the confidence levels of the home team.
Had the sides been on parity for long, or had Mayo gone one up, who knows, doubts could have seeped into Galway’s heads but the Tribesmen reacted positively each time the Green and Red threw down the gauntlet in the third quarter.
Following the exhilarating attacking display against Sligo five days previous, in which Galway won by 16 points, it was the team’scollective defensive effort that took the plaudits on Saturday; the defence and gifted corner-forward Shane Walsh, who really did turn on the style scoring six of his side’s nine points with a man-of-the-match display.
True, the backs conceded far too many cheap frees as they fouled far too freely in the first half – they were lucky free-takers O’Connor and Evan Regan didn’t quite have the measure of the tricky wind – but, probably following a rollicking by Flynn and Co at the break, the Galway defence tightened up after the interval and cut out the unnecessary fouling.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
THE Rebels are on the march and have a clean sweep of the senior, U20 and minor All-Ireland hurling titles in their sights – but Galway U20s have the opportunity of stopping resurgent Cork’s treble quest in the first of those deciders at Semple Stadium on Tuesday (7.30pm).
Jeffrey Lynskey’s charges gained revenge on Dublin in the recent Leinster Final and will be seeking the county’s first title at this level since 2011.
Galway are the outsiders to carry the day, but will be looking to the likes of team captain Seán Neary, Ian McGlynn, Seán McDonagh, Donal O’Shea, Oisín Flannery and John Cooney to lead the way.
Meanwhile, the county minors will also set up an All-Ireland Final against Cork if they ovecome Kilkenny in tomorrow evening’s (Friday, 7.30pm) semi-final in Thurles.
See full previews in Tribune Sport, part of 18 pages of coverage in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now – or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie
Corofin 7-17
Oughterard 0-11
IS there anything to be said for splitting Corofin in two? We jest, of course, but the Dublin-like dominance of the North Galway club on the local scene in the past decade shows no sign of abating.
A new championship, a new-look team, but the same old classy Corofin who were in seventh heaven after bagging a record seven goals in their 27-points victory over hapless Oughterard.
That Kevin O’Brien could spring dual county star, Daithi Burke, and Galway senior footballer Ian Burke, as second-half substitutes when the game was over as a contest, highlights the embarrassment of riches in the Corofin camp.
Nine of Corofin’s starters were on the starting 15 that won an historic three-in-a-row of All-Ireland titles in January, but the introduction of former Galway minor Matthew Cooley, who scored a goal off the bench on his senior club debut, highlighted, too, how they have young talent coming through.
Leaving aside the lack of resistance, particularly in the second half, the ruthless manner in which Corofin annihilated their Connemara opponents was frightening for all other pretenders to the throne.
As warnings go, this was savage, as Corofin signalled their intent about securing an eighth successive county title, with a clinical brushing aside of an Oughterard outfit whose heads-dropped early. Corofin had 11 different scorers, including seven goal scorers; all bar one of their 17 points, were from play.
Darragh Silke who finished with 1-7, ran riot in the second half, and was the game’s best performer, and Micheál Lundy (1-3) proved a handful on the inside line, but Corofin had quality dotted all over the field, and in truth, won without clicking into high gear.
If things went their way in the opening half, Oughterard’s spirits might not have been drained so soon, but they failed to convert the chances they had.
That was the big difference in the first half-hour: Corofin converted 10 out of 10 scoring opportunities that presented themselves, whereas Oughterard hit five wides, including two shots that should at the very least have troubled goalkeeper Bernard Power.
For Oughterard, this will cut deep. The 2019 All-Ireland intermediate winners were unbeaten in championship last season but got a rude awakening on their re-introduction to senior. Their first championship match back in senior in nearly 20 years, and they’re annihilated. To add to the embarrassment, it was televised live on TG4 for all to see.
It was effectively over at half-time, but it shouldn’t have been. Oughterard had enough of the play, and enough chances, to be still in with a shout at the change of ends and they just failed to punish their more ruthless opponents.
Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.
GALWAY minor football manager Dónal Ó Fátharta has praised his young charges for the manner in which they responded to their Connacht final defeat to Mayo.
Ó Fátharta’s squad turned on the style when taking down Leinster champions Kildare in their All-Ireland quarter-final at Pearse Park, Longford last weekend to set up a semi-final meeting against a Kerry outfit chasing an incredible six-in-a-row of titles at this grade.
However, the Galway manager admitted he was concerned initially as to how his players would respond to the provincial final loss to Mayo. “After the Connacht final, the guys were down. We gave them a week off, which we were going to do anyways. When they came back in for our meeting and the usual stuff, I was worried, but, after that meeting, I wasn’t worried. I was hopeful.
“For the last two weeks, they have worked hard. We played Dublin in a challenge and it was one of those games of 30 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes. We were very sharp that night. That reinforced it for me that there was a performance in these guys. The next challenge is a game in Croke Park, which is another step up, but I am delighted that they are there and they have that opportunity.”
Indeed, Ó Fátharta described his players’ display against Kildare as “a complete performance”, noting: “Structurally, I think we were very good. I think we took our chances, and we did everything that we talk about doing every day. They took their chances when they had to; they worked hard; they put in shifts, and all that sort of stuff. So, we are delighted with the performance.”
See full report and reaction in Connacht Tribune Sport.
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