Football
Footballers depart with their heads held high
A VALIANT effort laced with equal measures of courage and class that made a huge contribution to restoring honour in the world of Galway football but yet there was huge disappointment there, too, as the county came tantalisingly close to securing an All-Ireland quarter-final slot at Croke Park on Saturday.
Ten minutes into the second half of this round four qualifier Galway led by five points . . . with just over six minutes remaining on the clock Alan Mulholland’s side were still three up . . . but in the end the effort was just unsustainable with Cork introducing a super-sub gang of heavy-hitters to get them over the line.
It was an emotional and heart-breaking end for a Galway team that had hit rock bottom just over two months previously when Mayo administered a 17 point humiliation but somewhere from the ashes of that brush fire, there was a rekindling of hope and spirit.
In the end, of course, it was a defeat by the narrowest of margins despite a late thunderbolt dead ball strike from Michael Meehan, but over the past month or so from the humblest of beginnings, some solid foundation stones have been laid.
Cork, the All-Ireland champions of 2010, have a team on paper that looks a match for any other outfit in the country with the physique of rugby No. 8s to complement their footballing skills, but for some reason their team package falls a long way short of the sum of their parts.
For all that, it must be said that Cork did create at least six clear-cut goal chances over the course of the hour, but a combination of the woodwork, bad misses and three inspirational saves from Galway goalkeeper Manus Breathnach had looked set to deny Conor Counihan’s side a major score.
With 64 minutes gone on the clock, and Cork still without a goal after missing an array of chances, the feeling was just creeping into the minds of the smallish but quite vociferous Galway crowd that this just might be their day – one of the shocks of the year seemed about to happen.
Beleaguered Cork Manager Conor Counihan in a darker moment must have visualised the P45 dangling in front of him on the dressingroom door but the introduction of power subs such as Paul Kerrigan, Paudie Kissane, Donncha O’Connor and Paddy Kelly just carried too much punch for a Galway side pretty much out on their feet.
When Galway moved the ball quickly, and ran straight at the heart of the Cork defence, the result was refreshingly positive with the quality of scores delivered mainly by Sean Armstrong, Michael Meehan and Paul Conroy, all of the highest order.
The whole ethos of Galway football down through the years has been based on the vibrancy of their attacking play and fuelled by a flush of confidence, following the three previous qualifying rounds successes, their attacking play was a rather pleasant reminder of times past.
Cork though are the team that march on to the All-Ireland quarter-final and while Galway can take justifiable solace from the intensity and focus of their performance, the trick is not to get too carried away, but at last a decent start has been in the job of rebuilding a team that can be competitive with the top teams in the country.
A lot of July consolations for Galway and although manager Alan Mulholland might have been under pressure in the wake of the Mayo defeat, the displays against Armagh and Cork do indicate that at last, some of the foundation stones for a settled team have been laid. There is a long winter ahead but at last a chink of light has entered into what had been a very dark tunnel.
For a detailed match report see this week’s Connacht Sentinel
CHAMPIONS Moycullen will open the defence of their title against an emerging Claregalway outfit when the sides meet in the first round of the 2021 county senior football championship on the weekend of September 5th.
In addition to Claregalway, Moycullen have also been pooled with An Cheathrú Rua and Annaghdown and, while Don Connellan’s charges will be favourites heading into all three SFC fixtures, the former Roscommon footballer will be acutely aware that each of their Group 3 opponents have the capacity to spring a surprise.
Indeed, this proved to be Moycullen’s forte in 2020 as they claimed the Frank Fox Cup for the very first time. It was even more impressive given they did so without Galway star Peter Cooke, who was working in the United States last year. Cooke has since returned and his availability significantly boasts their chances of retaining their title.
From the outset in 2020, though, Moycullen looked like men on a mission. In their group games, they saw off Micheál Breathnach (3-12 to 1-6), Annaghdown (4-9 to 2-14) and Mountbellew/Moylough (4-14 to 1-9) before accounting for St. James’ (1-17 to 2-9) and 2019 finalists Tuam Stars (3-14 to 1-15) in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively.
The two biggest threats to Moycullen’s crown are Corofin – still the reigning All-Ireland club champions – and Mountbellew/Moylough while Tuam Stars and Salthill/Knocknacarra will also fancy their chances.
Corofin, unbeaten for almost eight years in Galway SFC football until their demise last year, have been drawn in Group 4A, alongside Oughterard and Salthill/Knocknacarra. However, those three teams will not play each other, but rather they cross-play the teams pooled in Group 4B, namely Monivea/Abbey, Barna and Caherlistrane.
This unusual format gives each of these teams three SFC fixtures – same as the four-team groups – with the top two sides in each of these sections – 4A and 4B – advancing to the knockout stages.
See full coverage of the draw in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now – or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie
Roscommon 1-16
Galway 2-12
IT would be a tad simplistic to dub what was a hugely entertaining Connacht minor football semi-final as a game of two halves, given that Galway led by 11 points at one stage before Roscommon stormed back to eventually claim a remarkable victory at Tuam Stadium last Saturday.
The reality is a little more nuanced, in that Galway, on their first outing of the year, impressively carved Roscommon’s defence apart with an array of stylish attacking play for a 20-minute spell while playing with the wind at their backs. Outside of that period, though, Galway would just manage to register a solitary point from play.
Roscommon also let four decent goal chances slip through their fingers before they eventually did raise a green flag, drawing two saves while also hitting the post. Critically they hit the last three points of the half to leave a slightly more manageable eight between the sides.
During Galway’s purple patch, pacy corner forwards Eanna Monaghan and Niall Mannion both left their markers chasing shadows, as Galway reeled off nine scores without reply having understandably started quite sluggishly. Goals by Sean Bermingham and Monaghan looked to have Alan Flynn’s side in the box seat, but Roscommon showed remarkable character to claw their way back despite a second half black card that threatened to stall their comeback.
However, when Robert Heneghan’s thunderous 47th minute shot hit the roof of the net while Roscommon were still a body short, the large travelling support rose the decibel levels another notch and their team responded magnificently.
Read full coverage in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now – or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie
COROFIN 4-18
MONIVEA/ABBEY 0-7
WHILE it goes without saying that everyone is hugely thankful that sporting action has resumed and we still appear on course to complete a season, it is such a pity for the time being that only a handful of supporters are allowed the privilege to watch a team of Corofin’s class in full flight as they look destined to create history on their march to an eighth senior title in a row.
On a glorious day for football last Sunday, Corofin dismantled Monivea/Abbey in emphatic fashion, playing an electric brand of football that repeatedly cut holes in their opponent’s defensive alignment. Seven goals last time out against Oughterard, there could have been more again in Tuam Stadium but for some uncharacteristically sloppy finishing to rapier-like first half moves that left Brian Mulry’s side exposed.
It didn’t help that Cillian McDaid, Monivea/Abbey’s star turn, was an absentee, or that St. Bernard’s Connacht Junior Cup quarter final was scheduled for the same time, but Monivea/Abbey should still take a small shred of comfort from the fact that they competed well at times, created 19 scoring chances, and never dropped their heads despite the lost cause.
With no Connacht or All-Ireland club championship to have to try and peak for later in the year, Corofin look poised to lay down a serious marker on how far ahead of the pack they really are. New faces like Matthew Cooley and replacement Colin Kelly, who confidently netted two second-half goals on his debut, are being given their chance, while Ronan Steede, Martin Farragher, Bernard Power, and Daithí Burke were not required on this occasion.
Throw in the fact that Kevin O’Brien chose to keep Kieran Molloy and Gary Sice in reserve until deep into the second half and you start to seriously question whether any side in the county will be able to lay a glove on them this term. Ian Burke is motoring along nicely, Micheál Lundy appears revived back in a more attacking role, while veterans like Ciarán McGrath are haring around the pitch as if they have a point to prove.
Monivea/Abbey were lively all over the pitch early on and actually created one more scoring opportunity in the opening twelve minutes (5-4) but were unfortunately wasteful when it mattered and somehow found themselves trailing by 1-2 to 0-1.
Corofin’s movement and accuracy were already sublime, with Lundy, Burke, and Cooley lining up in an I formation down the middle of the attack and Darragh Silke offering himself as a highly effective link man in transition. Jason Leonard and Dylan Canney provided width when needed while the defensive Dylan’s, Wall and McHugh, tore forward when the chances arose.
Ian Burke’s sharp turn on eight minutes left Caelom Mulry in his wake, but when a goal looked likely Burke drove just over the bar. Three minutes later the dam broke when Lundy curled a pass into Cooley in space, and he picked out McHugh on the burst who slotted to the net at his ease.
A Brian Moran free registered Monivea/Abbey’s first score shortly after, but the die had already been cast. Jason Leonard drove over a ’45 after Burke had been denied by some last gasp defending before Canney clipped over a classy score where Lundy and Burke were involved again.
Extended report will appear in this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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