Galway minors shake off poor start to dismiss Cavan

Date Published: 01-Aug-2011

THERE will be no cards or festive greetings from Cavan this Christmas. Not after the Tribesmen – for the second time this year – put paid to the Ulster county’s All-Ireland dreams.

Following the U-21s surgically dissection of their northern opponents in the national decider in late spring, it was hoped among Galway supporters heading to this All-Ireland minor quarter-final in Pearse Park, Longford last Saturday that the U-21 victory earlier in the year might conjure some trepidation in the Cavan camp going into this one.

After all, Galway required something. Defeated comprehensively by Roscommon in the Connacht decider, Tommie Joyce’s young charges desperately needed a thread to cling onto facing into a duel with the fancied Ulster champions.

In the opening 20 minutes, though, Cavan showed no sign of weakness. They led 0-5 to 0-1 and all over the park they were dominating. Galway, for their part, were struggling to break beyond the opposition half-back line. In truth, it seemed a rout of the Westerners was on the card. Once again, they were about to be rolled over.

However, a 24th minute goal from Claregalway midfielder and man of the match Sean Moran turned this contest on its head. The seed of doubt was sown. Slowly but surely, Galway began to peel back the layers to uncover Cavan’s soft centre . . . the lingering residue of the heartbreaking U-21 defeat began to permeate.

So, Tommie Joyce’s young men set to work and in the final 40 minutes of the contest they outgunned Cavan by 1-8 to 0-4.

Granted, the display may have lacked the surgical precision of the U-21s but, in truth, the butcher’s knife can be just as effective as the scalpel . . . and cut twice as deep. Galway wielded it with strong purpose.

No more so than in the third quarter. Buoyed by their resurgence before the break, the Connacht finalists rattled off four unanswered points early in the second period to take a 1-6 to 0-6 lead. It was an advantage that they never relinquished thereafter.

See full report in this week’s Sentinel.