Date Published: 20-Apr-2011

FRANK FARRAGHER

IT was a strange kind of scene for Galway football in recent times. Last Saturday evening’s All-Ireland semi-final against Cork had ended about 20 minutes previously and all over the pitch there were little huddles of supporters with bits of maroon regalia attached.

Shortly after, when the Galway team had completed their warm-down, they received an impromptu round of applause as they left the pitch – these were fans hungry for success but surely many of them couldn’t have expected to have their appetites satisfied last Saturday evening.

There was a decent hard core of Galway support in Cusack Park and most travelled in the hope of seeing a good performance but there was also a little fear of what Cork might do, in light of their 22 point Munster final win over Kerry.

Cork had come into this match with a bloated reputation and there’s probably no worse preparation for a big game than a facile victory in the previous encounter. Even in their pre-match mannerisms, there was a flippancy about Cork that indicated their minds weren’t in the right place.

By contrast Galway were gunning for action right from the opening throw-in by referee Joe Curley. Thomas Flynn, Fionntán Ó Curraoin and Micheál Boyle won the first three high balls – even when Cork went ahead 7-6 at half-time and 11-7 early in the second half, Galway were always sniping at their heels.

Flynn and Ó Curraoin continued to win the hard ball at midfield, the Galway backs although under severe pressure at times never lost the plot in terms of concentration and disciplined tackling, while up front – although a lot of good chances were missed – many more were being created.

Maybe at 11-7 down, 11 minutes into the second half, the dream threatened to die but then Eric Monahan and Mark Hehir delivered pressure scores to swing the game back the way of Galway.

Micheál Boyle’s classic 51st minute goal might have been the knock-out left hook, but before that blow to the point of the Cork chin, the barrage of jabs had made the opening.

When sub Michael Farragher expertly stroked over Galway’s last point of the match to put them three ahead, many tough Sundays earlier this Spring at Newry, Clones, Killarney, Tuam and Pearse Stadium had been shoved aside. Sport had thrown up another of those unexpected days.

Defeat is always a painful feeling but a glance at the Cork faces walking off under the stand shortly before eight o clock last Saturday painted a picture of shock and disbelief, as much as disappointment. They just hadn’t seen this one coming.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.