Galway regain some pride after shocking opening half showing

Donegal 1-16

Galway 0-12

In the end, the performance barometer for Galway approached respectability but for the first half of this Division 2 National Football League tie at Pearse Stadium on Sunday, a serious humiliation looked to be on the cards.

Galway were aided by the strong first half wind but when they trotted in at the interval, Donegal had forged into a 1-6 to 0-4 lead and looked primed to dish out a major hiding to the home side.

In fairness, Galway battled with some grit in the second half, picking up a lot more possession around the midfield sector while also managing to double their first half scoring total.

There’s a long road to travel for Galway and in the three week gap before the next league game against Laois, Alan Mulholland will be hoping to get some key players back for what will be something of a must win match.

The quality of most of Galway’s second half scores was of the highest order but the midfield sector continues to be a major problem while there will also be concerns this week over a nasty looking knee injury that Finian Hanley suffered in the first quarter.

The failure of Galway, time after time, to secure possession from their own kick-outs was again a source of major concern although that situation did improve considerably in the second half with James Kavanagh picking up a lot of loose ball while Gary Sice and Sean Armstrong also scavenged pretty effectively around the fringes.

Three times in that second half, Galway did manage to reduce the lead to four points, but no further could they go, against a very well organised and mobile Donegal defence that succeeded in pulling off a whole series of possession turnovers inside their own 45.

Galway just cannot compete with the big guns at present on three fronts – the lack of real power and leadership around the midfield sector; the weakness of certain players in cheaply giving away possession in the tackle; and a lack of alertness in tracking back opposing defenders who travel upfield with real pace.

It’s now squeaky bum time for Galway and while there mightn’t have been strong hopes for points against Meath or Donegal, the third match against Laois in Portlaoise on the Saturday evening of March 1, is a contest for survival.

Fiontán Ó Curraoin’s return from injury should be a welcome boost for the midfield sector but if Galway don’t ‘get down and dirty’ to win the hard ball between the two 45s, a forward line, that does have a lively look about it, will not be able to function properly. It’s now that leaders are required.