Champs spring to life in nick of time to deny city rivals

Salthill/Knocknacarra 0-13  St James’ 0-11

WHAT separated them, ultimately, was a touch of class. Or, to be more accurate, several touches of class from Salthill / Knocknacarra’s marksmen, Seán Armstrong and Seamie Crowe.

The reigning champions booked their place in a second successive county final after their two marquee forwards ran riot with Crowe (0-4) and Armstrong (0-6, 4f) between then landing ten of Salthill’s 13 points.

St James’ were competitive throughout, and had the favourites on the back-foot early on, but they were badly punished for zoning out during a 15 minutes phase either side of half time.

Salthill/Knocknacarra during that incredible period of absolute dominance – ten minutes before the interval including five minutes of first-half injury time and five minutes after the break – raised eight white flags without reply.

The title holders simply steamrolled the opposition after a somewhat inauspicious start in which they looked second best and tired. Surely they weren’t going to surrender their county crown so meekly? Of course not.

Because once they found their groove, Cathal McGinley’s charges were devastating. They went from being 0-2 to 0-6 in arrears, to being 0-10 to 0-6 in front, as Armstrong and Crowe in particular, cut loose and destroyed St James’ in what seemed like the blink of an eye.

In fairness, though St James’ didn’t throw in the towel, a physically stronger and more mobile Salthill outfit never seemed to be in danger of being toppled once they established a lead.

St James’ would have been disappointed not to have reached the sanctuary of the half-time dressing room with a lead or at the very least parity but to arrive there trailing by one was a drain on confidence; and their sleepy start to the second half was far from ideal but they did keep plugging away ‘til the end.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.