McDaid’s late strike bails Galway out of big trouble

Galway 0-7

Sligo 1-4

Sean Rice at Hyde Park

HOPE still flickers faintly in Sligo hearts. While nothing can ease the ache of the seniors collapse against Mayo, their minors displayed a burning commitment in holding clear favourites Galway to a Connacht final draw at Hyde Park in a prelude to the main event.

A point from a free by midfielder Cillian McDaid three minutes from the end spared Galway blushes after an uneasy hour trying to negotiate around a tough and disciplined Sligo defence.

On Friday evening, they’ll try again in Tuam (7pm) and Galway in the meantime will be expected to have learned how to deal with the whole-hearted football of a side that holds no fears for the opposition. Maybe, they will also seem less complacent.

Or maybe complacency had nothing to do with their sluggish performance. Maybe, they unexpectedly bumped into a side of equals, a spirited side resolved to carve out some bit of glory for their county.

Whatever it was, Sligo came close to winning a minor title they last held 47 years ago, and were denied only by the intervention of McDaid with that relieving levelling point.

It was so unlike Galway’s performance in trouncing holders Mayo a couple of weeks earlier. Gone was the flowing brilliance, the slick interaction, the fast breaks, the great scores from all angles. You would not have recognised them from the two games.

All through the hour, Sligo thwarted them with strong defensive measures. And although Galway always looked the better side and had most of the possession, the truth is they weren’t ready for the disruptive tactics adopted by the Yeats County.

It did look as if they had the measure of their opponents when they opened the scoring in the fifth minute with a point reminiscent of their sorties against Mayo. Eric Lee, Sean Kelly and Conor Marsden all combined impressively to set up Colm O Braonain for a tidy score.

Four minutes later Finian O Laoi had their second, and the same player had their third and, astonishingly, their last point of the first half in the 19th minute even though O Braonain and McDaid controlled midfield and drove relentlessly if unproductively at the barricaded Sligo defence.

Signs that Sligo were a serious challenge became clear after their right wing forward Liam Gaughan pulled in their first point in the 13th minute.

Even though Galway dominated midfield, Darragh Cummins, centre back Finian Cawley and Nathan Rooney were making serious inroads on maroon defensive lines. Were it not for timely interventions by centre back Liam O Ceallaigh, the Tribesmen might have been in deep trouble.

Gaughan did fling over Sligo’s second point in the 26th minute and it seemed Galway had weathered the storm until they conceded the only goal of the game three minutes before half time.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.