Galway U21s bid to floor the odds in huge challenge

Date Published: 13-Apr-2011

STEPHEN GLENNON

GALWAY U-21 footballers have kept faith with the same team which won the Connacht final for their All-Ireland semi-final clash against Munster champions Cork at Cusack Park, Ennis this Saturday (6:30pm).

The young Tribesmen have generated a great deal of optimism following their victory over Roscommon in the Connacht decider – the county’s first title at this grade since 2005, when they also won the All-Ireland – but now they face their greatest challenge to date when they meet 2011 All-Ireland favourites Cork.

Galway boss Alan Mulholland admits his charges have a tough hour of football ahead of them. “I was delighted for about three days (with the 1-10 to 0-4 Connacht final win over Roscommon), until I went down to see the Munster final,” he laughs, referring to the Leesiders 2-24 to 0-8 provincial victory over Kerry.

“Cork were excellent – they were very good – but the debate is how good or bad were Kerry? My own opinion is that I have never seen a bad Kerry team but, in any event, Cork made short work of them.”

Indeed, in that game, full-forward Barry O’Driscoll scored 1-6, with corner forward Donal Óg Hodnett and centre-forward Mark Collins posting 1-4 and 0-7 respectively. Captain Ciarán Sheehan finished with 0-3.

That said, Mulholland agrees that Munster final game will have no relevance on Saturday’s proceedings, acknowledging each game takes on a life of its own. “I am hoping that will be the case. Yeah, it’s a new a game.

“Cork got a run on Kerry early on, scoring two goals in the first 10 minutes, and you could see the Kerry lads’ head drop. Cork just kept the foot down. We would be hoping that we would not let that happen and that we will be able to match them from start to finish.”

Indeed, Galway, themselves, were impressive when dismissing 2010 provincial holders, Roscommon at Pearse Stadium earlier this month, playing an attractive brand of passing football. Substitute Adrian Murphy scored the champions’ goal late on to cap a memorable victory.

“What I was happy with about the Roscommon game was that we seized the game early on,” says Mulholland. “We played against the wind in the first half, we got to work straight away, and we managed to hold Roscommon to two points.

“We did have a sticky patch in the second half, where they came at us but, overall, we did well and everybody from one to 15, I thought, put in a strong, hard shift,” praises the Salthill/Knocknacarra man.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.