GAA
Footballers in crisis after humiliating loss to Laois
LAOIS 1-20
GALWAY 0-8
THERE’S little point in kicking someone when they’re down but the Galway supporters who travelled to Portlaoise last Saturday evening left O’Moore Park in a state of some bewilderment after a defeat of quite shocking proportions.
Stocks of patience built up over the past few years, a time during which Galway picked up two All-Ireland under-21 titles, are now exhausted . . . with the county desperately struggling to retain an acceptable level of competitiveness against the second tier of teams in the country.
It is a serious conundrum with no lack of honesty or effort from either manager Alan Mulholland or his charges, but three successive defeats – all involving the concession of large scoring totals – seems to have drained every ounce of confidence from the panel.
Over the course of Galway’s three league ties, they have conceded a staggering total of 5-54 (3-18 against Meath, 1-16 to Donegal and 1-20 to Laois) – last Saturday evening as the home side sauntered through the second half of this match scoring almost at will, and giving all their subs a run, there was a real sense of humiliation for the travelling supporters from the west.
In terms of confidence and morale, there is something of a ‘Catch 22’ situation prevailing. To win a game, some stocks of confidence are needed, but the only way to access that commodity is through success – Galway are now swirling about in that vortex of self-doubt and failure.
It’s an old line by now, but really Galway shouldn’t be that bad. No one for one second will assume that under-21 titles are a guarantee of senior success, but they are still an indicator that some decent players are coming through the under-age system – for the moment though the transition to senior level is just not happening.
For the first 25 minutes of this tie played before a crowd of about 4,000, Galway held their own well. Fiontán Ó Curraoin and Thomas Flynn were securing a fair break in the middle of the field; the defence looked reasonably solid while Adrian Varley in attack was showing well for quick ball played inside.
But gradually Galway got bogged down. A few short kick-outs led to the defence being caught in possession while too many bodies in the half forward line led to a complete clogging up of the attacking space – time after time, Galway had ball turned over around the Laois 45 metre line.
Galway also seem to have got themselves into a kind of tactical malaise in terms of their attacking strategy. What would be wrong with leaving a player of Paul Conroy’s power on the edge of the square as a target man for the likes of Adrian Varley, Danny Cummins or Eoin Concannon to feed off.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
THE Rebels are on the march and have a clean sweep of the senior, U20 and minor All-Ireland hurling titles in their sights – but Galway U20s have the opportunity of stopping resurgent Cork’s treble quest in the first of those deciders at Semple Stadium on Tuesday (7.30pm).
Jeffrey Lynskey’s charges gained revenge on Dublin in the recent Leinster Final and will be seeking the county’s first title at this level since 2011.
Galway are the outsiders to carry the day, but will be looking to the likes of team captain Seán Neary, Ian McGlynn, Seán McDonagh, Donal O’Shea, Oisín Flannery and John Cooney to lead the way.
Meanwhile, the county minors will also set up an All-Ireland Final against Cork if they ovecome Kilkenny in tomorrow evening’s (Friday, 7.30pm) semi-final in Thurles.
See full previews in Tribune Sport, part of 18 pages of coverage in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now – or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie
Corofin 7-17
Oughterard 0-11
IS there anything to be said for splitting Corofin in two? We jest, of course, but the Dublin-like dominance of the North Galway club on the local scene in the past decade shows no sign of abating.
A new championship, a new-look team, but the same old classy Corofin who were in seventh heaven after bagging a record seven goals in their 27-points victory over hapless Oughterard.
That Kevin O’Brien could spring dual county star, Daithi Burke, and Galway senior footballer Ian Burke, as second-half substitutes when the game was over as a contest, highlights the embarrassment of riches in the Corofin camp.
Nine of Corofin’s starters were on the starting 15 that won an historic three-in-a-row of All-Ireland titles in January, but the introduction of former Galway minor Matthew Cooley, who scored a goal off the bench on his senior club debut, highlighted, too, how they have young talent coming through.
Leaving aside the lack of resistance, particularly in the second half, the ruthless manner in which Corofin annihilated their Connemara opponents was frightening for all other pretenders to the throne.
As warnings go, this was savage, as Corofin signalled their intent about securing an eighth successive county title, with a clinical brushing aside of an Oughterard outfit whose heads-dropped early. Corofin had 11 different scorers, including seven goal scorers; all bar one of their 17 points, were from play.
Darragh Silke who finished with 1-7, ran riot in the second half, and was the game’s best performer, and Micheál Lundy (1-3) proved a handful on the inside line, but Corofin had quality dotted all over the field, and in truth, won without clicking into high gear.
If things went their way in the opening half, Oughterard’s spirits might not have been drained so soon, but they failed to convert the chances they had.
That was the big difference in the first half-hour: Corofin converted 10 out of 10 scoring opportunities that presented themselves, whereas Oughterard hit five wides, including two shots that should at the very least have troubled goalkeeper Bernard Power.
For Oughterard, this will cut deep. The 2019 All-Ireland intermediate winners were unbeaten in championship last season but got a rude awakening on their re-introduction to senior. Their first championship match back in senior in nearly 20 years, and they’re annihilated. To add to the embarrassment, it was televised live on TG4 for all to see.
It was effectively over at half-time, but it shouldn’t have been. Oughterard had enough of the play, and enough chances, to be still in with a shout at the change of ends and they just failed to punish their more ruthless opponents.
Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.
GALWAY minor football manager Dónal Ó Fátharta has praised his young charges for the manner in which they responded to their Connacht final defeat to Mayo.
Ó Fátharta’s squad turned on the style when taking down Leinster champions Kildare in their All-Ireland quarter-final at Pearse Park, Longford last weekend to set up a semi-final meeting against a Kerry outfit chasing an incredible six-in-a-row of titles at this grade.
However, the Galway manager admitted he was concerned initially as to how his players would respond to the provincial final loss to Mayo. “After the Connacht final, the guys were down. We gave them a week off, which we were going to do anyways. When they came back in for our meeting and the usual stuff, I was worried, but, after that meeting, I wasn’t worried. I was hopeful.
“For the last two weeks, they have worked hard. We played Dublin in a challenge and it was one of those games of 30 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes. We were very sharp that night. That reinforced it for me that there was a performance in these guys. The next challenge is a game in Croke Park, which is another step up, but I am delighted that they are there and they have that opportunity.”
Indeed, Ó Fátharta described his players’ display against Kildare as “a complete performance”, noting: “Structurally, I think we were very good. I think we took our chances, and we did everything that we talk about doing every day. They took their chances when they had to; they worked hard; they put in shifts, and all that sort of stuff. So, we are delighted with the performance.”
See full report and reaction in Connacht Tribune Sport.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
