Flattering Galway footballers blown away by Mayo impressive in second-half

Mayo 2-14

Galway 2-8

NO elite GAA team in the country has had their fortunes turned upside down more by Covid-19 than the Galway footballers. Flying high before the pandemic hit Ireland last Spring, the Tribesmen have been struggling to get off the ground in the interim.

Since the resumption of inter-county activity last October, Galway have played nine competitive matches and bar league and championship wins over Roscommon, it’s been one defeat after another. Not alone that, they shipped a couple of terrible pastings in the league and have also lost their Division One status.

Their latest defeat came in only the second ever Connacht Final to be staged at Croke Park last Sunday. Unlike the county’s hurlers the previous day, Galway weren’t caught napping or passive in the opening-half. Padraic Joyce’s team were up for the fight.

Despite losing two potentially influential players – Seán Kelly and Rob Finnerty – due to leg injuries at opposite ends of the field inside the opening 25 minutes, an undaunted and well-organised Galway had the champions on the rack at half-time.

Five points clear (2-5 to 0-6) after two thunderbolts from Shane Walsh and Damien Comer, Galway were throwing down the gauntlet to Mayo in no uncertain terms. They had worked themselves into a position where regaining the Nestor Cup was a strong possibility.

Unfortunately, Galway’s challenge disintegrated on the resumption – a scenario not helped by a shoulder injury to Walsh sustained in an off-the-ball incident before the break which eventually forced his retirement. They didn’t score at all in the third quarter and only managed three pointed frees from Matthew Tierney over the entire second-half.

Sure, the strong wind was a factor in helping a more seasoned Mayo team take over, but the scale of Galway’s collapse made for unpalatable viewing. Players like Paul Conroy, Johnny Heaney, Dylan McHugh, Kieran Molloy, Tierney, Comer and Walsh who were on the front foot over the opening 35 minutes became increasingly marginalised.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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