Galway must hit a seasonal high to dethrone Mayo men

IT says much for the intense and protracted rivalry between Galway and Mayo that victory in Sunday’s provincial quarter final (4pm) will almost insulate either team from the scorn of their supporters if things go pear-shaped in the championship down the road.

There is that much pride at stake at MacHale Park – not to mention bragging rights – in one of Gaelic football’s great traditional rivalries. Castlebar will be no place for the faint-hearted with both teams having something to prove after their recent league finals experiences on the same day at Croke Park last month.

Although their primary league objective had already been secured with promotion back to Division One, Galway would have been deflated by falling to Roscommon for the second time in a week in the Division Two decider.

Fielding a stronger team than the one which had gone under to the Rossies in the closing round of group matches the previous weekend, Galway wouldn’t have been lacking motivation and when they went a point ahead late on after rallying from a 0-17 to 12 deficit, they were odds-on to complete a fine recovery.

Instead, a wonderful – if avoidable – individual injury-time goal from Roscommon substitute Diarmuid Murtagh pulled the rug from under Galway’s feet and their eventual 1-20 to 0-22 defeat must have been a difficult pill to swallow, especially for Paul Conroy after one of the great midfield displays at Croke Park saw the St James’ player land six thumping points from play.

Naturally, Galway won’t have dwelt too long on that defeat, but some lessons need to be heeded. The defence must tighten up, and one anticipates that the return of Cillian McDaid and Dylan McHugh – who both missed the league final due to injury – will aid that process. Inside them, some supporters are urging the reuniting of Seán Kelly with the number three jersey as his pace alone would be an invaluable asset.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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