Galway juniors fall to Sligo

Date Published: 16-Jun-2010

Sligo 0-9 Galway 0-8

Sean Rice

in Ballyhaunis

IT’S not the seniors alone the rising tide of Sligo football has lifted. Days after dumping Mayo from the provincial race, their junior counterparts stunned Galway in the Connacht final at Ballyhaunis with an equally spectacular flourish.

And the track of Kevin Walsh’s hand was all over it too. Digging deep into a font of passion and self-belief in the final 15 minutes, the Yeats County carved out a magnificent win amid a welter of excitement last Wednesday.

But Galway, too, contributed their fair share to a fascinating hour of football. And the abundance of gripping exchanges had the small band of supporters from each side on their toes to the final moment.In the circumstances, it was fitting that a brilliant score should have decided the issue.

It came five minutes from time from Padraig McGoldrick, the last of five great points from the man of the match. And the ease with which he latched onto a high ball on the right wing, turned and screwed it over the bar, masked the skill and confidence behind it.Galway had done nothing wrong.

But whenever they did nose out in front, Sligo had the capacity to ramp up their game and haul them back. Points by Eoghan Poil (2) and Barry Donnellan were answered by three in succession from David Maye (2) and Benny McDonagh.Briefly, in the 26th minute, Sligo took the lead with a point by McG

oldrick, but from two frees Brendan Og O Callarain and Poil had Galway ahead at the interval, 0-5 to 0-4 . . . and were somewhat frustrated that at least one of three chances of goals presented to Eoghan Poil, Michael Murphy and Colman Hands was not finished off.

On each occasion the Sligo goalkeeper intervened magnificently.Against the wind after the break, there was more urgency to Galway’s play suggesting they might have underestimated the strength of the Sligo challenge.

And when Michael Murphy and Barry Donnellan hacked out two great points to put three between them the momentum lurched towards the Tribesmen, and for most of the third quarter they looked to be heading for the title.