Sun July 20 - Senior Football: Galway v Christopher's

Galway 1-16 Christopher's 4-18

Christopher's late playoff run gathered momentum following an entertaining battle against Galway.  A couple of well taken Shane Leahy goals delivered a double blow to Galway in the second half.  It looked as though the game could go either way for most of the game, but in the second half Christopher's pulled away after Galway lost Danny Reddin to a sending off.

It was close until late in the second half between Galway and Christopher's.

It was an evenly contested half of football.  Eoin Cummins got Galway off to a great start with an early goal, but Christopher's answered with points from Kevin McAllister, Paddy Dalton, and David Culhane.  Kevin Cummins, back in the Galway lineup, put two fantastic points over in quick succession as the game ebbed and flowed.  Christopher's had Brian Shanahan to thank for two wonderful points to open up a three point lead coming up to the break.  Gary Kelly reduced the gap to one point just before the break with a converted free followed by a glorious left footer. 

Gary Kelly put some magnificent strikes over the bar for Galway,
but it was not enough to overcome Christopher's.

The second half saw Christopher's strike with two goals in quick succession to deliver a blow to Galway's hopes.  Kelly had just given Galway a one point lead with two well taken points.  After Mark Delaney and Shanahan reciprocated for Christopher's opened up the Galway defence but made one pass too many, and the opening that was created quickly closed.  It was a harbinger of what was to come, however.  Shane Leahy, who made that extra pass, took the next two chances himself and rattled the net twice.  John Spillane converted the next critical score, and it looked as though Christopher's were on their way.  Paddy Dalton then worked hard to force a turnover as Galway tried to play the ball out of defence, and the result was a third goal for Christopher's, finished by Shanahan. 

Galway kept up the work rate.  The tribesmen accounted for the next 4 points, although Danny Reddin was shown the line and that was the end of the Galway revival.  With a few minutes left Christopher's made it a three score game with points from McAllister and Shanahan and are now pushing the Wolfe Tones and Kerry for that final playoff spot.

Galway:  M. O'Connor, D. Redmond, J. Gallagher, G. Patterson, P. Cummins, D. Judge, E. Cummins, C. Fitzmaurice, D. Reddin, G. Kelly, D. Hickey, P. Breen, K. Cummins.  Christopher's:  P. Kenneally, E. O'Mahoney, J. McGuire, J. Spillane, C. Murphy, D. Culhane, B. Coughlan, D. Kenneally, P. Dalton, K. McAllister, A. Matassa, B. Shanahan, S. Leahy.

By Rory O'Donnell