It’s a stroll for Galway against Sligo

GALWAY 0-16

SLIGO 0-11

THERE won’t be any beating of drums in the footballing heartlands of Galway following this semi-final success over Sligo at Markievicz Park last Saturday, but there will be a modest measure of quiet satisfaction taken from a display that had solidity imprinted all over it.

Even though Galway were expected to do the business in Yeats Country last weekend, this was an assignment that always slotted into the tricky category, as Sligo came into the game with the advantages of a low profile and the fielding of their strongest side so far this year.

The Sky cameras were making their debut on the Gaelic football stage and they could scarcely have handpicked a more aesthetically pleasing setting with the midsummer sun bathing the Dartry mountains and Ben Bulben’s snout.

However this was no tourist trail adventure for Galway’s footballers as they tried to reassure their fans that the days of the soft underbelly were over with – in the end it was a case of mission accomplished for Alan Mulholland’s young team.

Once Galway got their noses in front mid-way through the first half, there was a sense that this was a match they weren’t going to let slip away with all of the basics being carried out with a high competence level.

On an evening across the country where there were shocks and near-shocks, Galway defended with few mistakes while their midfield trio of Fiontán Ó Curraoin, Thomas Flynn and Eddie Hoare always held an edge in the battle to secure primary possession.

Up front the main inspiration was provided by the pace and free flowing runs of Shane Walsh on the ‘40’ while overall the Galway attack were always lively with Danny Cummins also sniping off a series of first half points that helped his side into a slim 0-9 to 0-8 interval advantage.

One of the big Galway fears coming into this match was that their defence might not be able to cope with the full forward line threat of Pat Hughes, Adrian Marren and David Kelly, but after a few anxious early moments, this threat gradually abated.

Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune