Pressure on Galway minors to deliver in clash with Mayo

THE powers that be in the GAA, whether by design or by accident, may have diluted the status of the Connacht minor football championship, in this its second year as an U17s competition, but for the teenage participants involved it remains an important milestone in their sporting lives.

The league format of the minor championship this year does give invaluable game time and experience to teams to allow players to develop underage, as every county has at least four games.

And yet, Galway’s next match – a Friday night game under lights in MacHale Park – doesn’t quite have the same glamour to it as previous Connacht minor football championships.

Remember not so long ago when the minor provincial showpiece would have been the curtain-raiser to the Connacht senior football final between Galway and Roscommon at Pearse Stadium on Sunday?

The wisdom of billing junior footballers, ahead of minors – or even the U20s’ grade – is perhaps a debate for another day, and another forum, but for now Galway remains fully focused on the task at hand: a must win match away against Mayo.

Despite the League format to the competition, and with Leitrim still to play next week, this Friday’s (7.30pm) clash with a well-fancied Mayo in Castlebar has a definite knockout feel to it.

Mayo have four points from a possible six having beaten Roscommon and Leitrim and losing to Sligo. Roscommon have four points, having beaten Galway and Leitrim, and losing to Mayo. Galway have two points after losing to Roscommon and beating Sligo; and Sligo, having lost to Galway and beaten Mayo, also have two points.

Win on Friday, and Galway are well placed to take the automatic qualification to the provincial final, or at the very least, finish second or third in the group, who will then square-off in a semi-final.

Lose, and then they’ll be relying on results elsewhere in what has been a highly competitive Connacht championship to date.

“We’re playing Mayo and if we don’t win that game, we’re probably gone,” admitted Galway manager Donal Ó Fátharta.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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