Big chance for Galway ladies to finally tame the Rebels

IT’S now or never for Galway ladies senior footballers as they face reigning All-Ireland champions Cork – for the fourth time competitively this year – in a fascinating All-Ireland quarter-final joust at the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick on Saturday (6pm).

When the two sides clashed in the early rounds of the National League, Galway lost out by a single point before taking the Leesiders to a replay in the National League final. Again, their lot was a single point loss but manager Kevin Reidy believes his charges are now ready to challenge for All-Ireland honours once again.

“Absolutely, yeah. I do,” he states. “I think they are coming on leaps and bounds with every game, every day they go out. So, I do. We would be very confident about next Saturday.”

Both sides’ run-in to the quarter-final could not be different. For Galway’s part, they bounced back from their National League final replay heartbreak to account for Mayo at McHale Park, Castlebar in the Connacht decider in July . . . but just by the skin of their teeth.

Cora Staunton, who scored a whopping 1-15 (0-8 frees) in that game, had nudged the home side in front as the clock ticked down. However, the classy Tracey Leonard subsequently struck for the equaliser before Patricia Gleeson added the winning score in the final minute to secure Galway their fourth successive provincial title.

“It was a great test and a good battle and it showed there was plenty of fight in the girls to come back with a few minutes to go,” says Reidy. “And they showed great composure as well to win it. They did the simple things and they got their reward in the end.

“I suppose, every game asks questions of you and the Connacht final was no different. Again, the one thing that told really was that the girls showed a lot of composure. They didn’t panic when we were a couple of points behind; they just kept going and kept putting the ball over the bar.”

Full preview in this week’s City Tribune.