Spirited Galway rattle Cats

Date Published: 31-Jul-2007

A SPIRITED end to a disappointing campaign. It is not often that Galway hurling folk leave Croke Park with hope in their hearts after a ten point defeat, but there was enough pride and passion in this performance against the more streetwise and experienced All- Ireland champions to give cause for some optimism on Saturday.

Attributes which were so glaringly lacking in Ennis just three weeks earlier were restored to the maroon jerseys as the Tribesmen battled bravely for 60 minutes of this All- Ireland quarter-final, to give Kilkenny quite a scare.

Given how disjointed and unsettled Galway had been throughout 2007, a spirited display was the most their supporters could have hoped for ahead of what had the makings of a mis-match against the overwhelming 1/5 favourites.

When Fergal Healy broke through to tie the game at 1-18 each with ten minutes to go, the supporters from the West really believed that a shock was on the cards. But Galway failed to score again and Kilkenny closed out the issue, scoring 2- 4 to put an unreal gloss on the scoreline.

Ultimately, the cuteness of the Kilkenny forwards and some naivete in the Galway defence transformed a game which looked as though it was set to go right down to the wire. But Kilkenny were the superior team, with a more established midfield, a more settled defence, and a ruthless streak up front which belied the lack of hunger usually expected from reigning champions.

A fired-up and economical Galway — who only hit two wides — were entitled to ponder on what might have been . . . and, true to the county’s history, there were a lot of ‘what ifs’ after this game.

What if corner back Fergal Moore, outstanding in the first half, had lasted the 70 minutes? The Turloughmore defender’s intense no nonsense display, in which he mopped up a huge amount of ball right across the full-back line, revived memories of Ollie Canning in his pomp just a few short years ago. His withdrawal due to injury just before halftime was a huge blow.

What if the Galway defenders had maintained their concentration for the full 70 minutes? There was no better man than Eddie Brennan to exploit their inexperience and the poor marking for his first goal deflated every Galway person in the stadium. It would have been easy to blame Ger Mahon, but the Kinvara man is just 20-years of age and he had left his full-back berth to challenge Eoin Larkin, who provided the perfect pass for that killer score.

What if a number of controversial refereeing decisions had gone Galway’s way? Referee Dickie Murphy managed to upset the Tribesmen, particularly relating to a number of challenges on Damien Hayes and Alan Kerins around the middle of the field. But, of course, the referee didn’t beat Galway.

Despite the despair that inevitably follows a big defeat,……..