Gaelic football Minors eager for a double-header

Galway minor football manager Stephen Joyce says his young charges are eager to join their senior county men for Connacht final day at Pearse Stadium on Sunday, July 10.

Although reigning Connacht minor champions Galway still do not know who they will be facing in next Wednesday’s Connacht semi-final – with Sligo and Roscommon to contest their provincial quarter-final at Markievicz Park this Saturday – Joyce said the opportunity to qualify both Galway teams for the July 10 showpiece is a huge incentive.

“You would be looking forward to a big day like that on the July 10th,” said Joyce of the prospect of both minor and seniors featuring on the day. “So, it is an incentive and hopefully that will give us an extra boost for the game next week.”

Who they play remains to be seen. Sligo will fancy their chances – especially after their two top nurseries, Summerhill College and St Attracta’s, Tubbercurry, contested the Connacht Post Primary Schools ‘A’ final earlier this year – but Roscommon have also featured strongly in the minor grade over the last decade or so.

Joyce tipped Sligo on both the basis of their Connacht final meeting last year – when Sligo took the young Tribesmen to a replay – and their clash in their Connacht Minor League in April, which Sligo won 1-12 to 0-8.

“We needed to draw the last game with Sligo to win it (Connacht Minor League). They beat us in the final group game. So, I think they could be our opponents again next week.

“They also took us to a replay in the Connacht (minor championship) final last year while, obviously, colleges football is strong in Sligo at the minute given they had the two teams in the Connacht colleges final. If you go on the colleges side of it, Sligo should be the strongest county in Connacht.”

However, after winning their first Connacht minor crown since 2007, Galway will not let go of their provincial title without a fight, regardless of the opposition.

They do have injury concerns, however. One of Galway’s three survivors from last year’s starting 15, Mountbellew/Moylough’s John Daly, is out with a cruciate while Cian Darcy (glandular fever), Lee Kenny (hamstring) and Darragh Silke (concussion) are all extremely doubtful.

“Unfortunately, the four of them will probably be out,” noted Joyce. “That said, things have been going well enough. We would be positive. John Daly is out but Finnian Ó Laoi and Ryan Forde are there from last year while a lot of the other players would have been on the panel in 2016. In fact, I would say most of them would have been.

“I suppose, last year, we were totally focused on Mayo and we knew where we were going. It is a bit different this year – not knowing – and it is a new challenge. At minor level, you don’t know how lads will react to that. We have been going well and prepared well and we are hopeful we will get the performance and that the result will follow. That is the hope anyway.”

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.