Galway aiming to end long season on the perfect note

BY PÁDRAIC Ó CIARDHA

OVER a year since the panel first came together, nine months after they claimed a provincial title and two months since they booked their place in the All-Ireland final, the Galway U20 footballers will finally bring an end to the 2020 season on Saturday when they take on Dublin.

The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a frustrating stop-start season for Dónal Ó Fátharta’s team but all the waiting will have been worth it if they can leave Croke Park as All-Ireland champions this weekend.

The manager and most of his players have come close before. The majority of this year’s squad are graduates from Ó Fátharta’s minor teams who lost consecutive All-Ireland finals in 2018 and 2019. The opportunity to finally get over the line on the big day is sure to be a motivating factor.

Galway’s form, while spaced out, has been impressive so far in 2020. They blew away a fancied Roscommon side in the Connacht final in March. They then had to wait until October to face Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final but the Tribesmen again impressed, pulling off a second half turnaround.

The win against Kerry was all the more remarkable considering that preparations for the game were severely disrupted due to Covid-19 protocols. Cathal Sweeney and James McLaughlin, two of the side’s standout performers in the Spring missed out, while Paul Kelly, Tomo Culhane and Daniel Cox were also unavailable for the match in Limerick.

Their replacements were excellent, however, none more so than Cian Hernon, who picked up the man-of-the-match award in the come-from-behind victory.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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