Pressure cranks up as football title race reaches vital stage

Date Published: {J}

Dara Bradley

THERE was no period of extra-time in the ten preliminary round matches of the Galway senior football championship a fortnight ago but this weekend, as the losers from the first day out square off, supporters should bring a flask of tea and sandwiches – and possibly a sleeping bag – as all five of these clashes have the potential to end in stalemate and go over the hour.

There’s a lot at stake: win and you qualify for the last 16, lose and there’s no safety net and you enter the relegation scrap. The five pairings are fairly evenly matched – you could toss a coin to pick the winner of St James’ V St Micheal’s, for example – and the threat of relegation and the ‘carrot’ of being safe in senior should you win, will add to the tension and drama.

The five winners join NUIG and last week’s ten winners in an open draw; the five losers enter an open draw for the relegation play-offs. Those matches have been pencilled in for the weekend of July 3, the week after the Connacht semi-final.

Saturday, May 28

St James’ v St Michael’s (Pearse Stadium, 6pm)

East takes on west in the city derby that is the pick of the matches over the weekend. Both clubs enter the clash in differing mental states following the preliminary round defeats – St Michael’s will feel hard done by with some of the officials’ decision in Tuam where they lost by a point (1-11, 2-7) to Killererin and must use that sense of grievance to drive them on here; St James’ just didn’t give a good account of themselves when losing by eight points (1-17, 1-9) to Claregalway in their first ever senior championship match, and will be anxious now to show they are capable of mixing it with the ‘big boys’.

St Michael’s, already fielding without Eddie Hoare, Greg Rogan, John O’Dowd, and Eoin Tummon – who were on the side that lost to this opposition in the league earlier this year – have also lost wing-back Niall Grogan, who is in the US. Galway minor Shane Maughan (flu) should be fit. If they can ‘up it’ a notch from the Killererin game, St Micheal’s will take the spoils.

Since the first day out, St James’ have lost corner forward Ronan O’Connell and corner back Jamie Burke who are in New York for the summer, in addition to Shane Coughlan, Barry Dooney and Seán Boyle who remain unavailable. The Mervue/Renmore/Ballybane outfit’s county players looked tired and didn’t perform in the opener and St James’ will have to sort out their kick-out strategy and overall tactics if they are to prevail. The ‘Jimmies’ manager Seamus Burke summed up this contest best: “It’s like a Galway Mayo match, 50/50”.

Verdict: St James’

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.