Early promise gives way to despair as Galway collapse

HOW does a side that scores 0-10 from 11 shots at the target in one half of football and seemingly cruising to a second successive Connacht title, come out for the second period and kick a miserly 0-2?

Well, that’s the question the Galway footballers find themselves forced to deal with this week after their second half collapse allowed a fired-up Roscommon dominate proceedings and turn a five-point deficit into a four-point win.

It had all looked so comfortable at the break. If Kevin Walsh was to write a realistic script of what he hoped to see transpire, he couldn’t have asked for more at half-time.

A shot conversion rate of 91% is simply astonishing, especially when you consider the conditions, which, prior to half-time in particular, were truly wretched as the rain teemed down in Salthill. During that period, Galway were at their most dominant.

They hit five-points between the 4th and 11th minutes, and another five between the 27th and 35th. Although the 16 barren minutes in between were something of a concern, 10-points is a superb first half return in any game of football.

Not only that, but the Tribesmen rearguard had restricted Roscommon to five-points in the opening half and appeared comfortable in dealing with whatever Anthony Cunningham’s side had to throw at them. Too often Roscommon were over-eager on the ball, delivering kick passes which favoured the Galway full-back line.

Quick ball into dangerous inside duo Diarmuid Murtagh and Conor Cox was clearly the incentive but with the packed Galway defence well organised, the Tribesmen snuffed the Rossies out at ease the majority of the time.

And on occasions where Roscommon ran at the Galway defence, there was aggression in the Galway tackling but more importantly, there was, by and large discipline, which forced numerous turnovers.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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