Connacht footballers end 45-year famine

Connacht 2-19

Ulster 1-7

BRIDGING a yawning gap of 45 years since their last success, Connacht footballers collected the Inter-provincial title with a landslide win over Ulster at Tuam Stadium on Sunday.

Since claiming the old Railway Cup in 1969, the province had endured 15 final defeats but that hoodoo was finally laid to rest in emphatic fashion. Fifteen points separated the teams at the finish, the largest winning margin for a final in the competition’s history, and it was a fair reflection of Connacht’s overall superiority.

 The outcome clearly meant a lot to all involved and the manner of Connacht’s win only add to the sense of satisfaction. In terms of application and playing for another, manager John Tobin and his selectors Martin Carney and Barney Breen could hardly have asked for much more. Some of their approach play and point-taking, particularly from range, were first class with the overall economy of 21/30 chances converted ensuring an emphatic win.

 The semi-finals attracted some of the lowest attendances in the competition’s history. 294 were in Navan for Ulster’s meeting with Leinster and no more than 100 watched Connacht and Munster. A crowd in the region of 500 turned up at Tuam Stadium on Sunday and while the competition may struggle to capture the public’s imagination, the same couldn’t be said for the players who value the honour of representing their province and want it retained.

 In all, Galway had nine players on Sunday’s panel and the contribution of their four starters would undoubtedly have impressed the onlooking Alan Mulholland. Joss Moore has been one of the shining lights in a testing start to Galway’s National League campaign and the Mountbellew-Moyough defender continued his excellent early season form against no less an opponent than Michael Murphy.

Gareth Bradshaw was back in his more customary right half-back position after seeing game-time in Galway’s attack this year and put in a superb shift. Paul Conroy kicked one point and had a hand in several more while Sean Armstrong was at the heart of Connacht’s fluid attacking game, making chances and chipping in with three fine points and was among the top performers on view.

Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune