Galway 1-11 Wolfe Tones 5-6
The windy conditions did not make for a great game of
football between the Tones and Galway, though Galway did make it exciting in
the second half as they reined in what was an eight point lead to three. Playing with the wind the Tones banged in 4
first half goals as Galway struggled to cope with the conditions and their
opponents, while in the second Galway reined the lead back to a single score
only for Paddy Keenan to relieve the Tones nerves with a late goal.
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| Galway's James Kennedy holds off Shea Tennyson's challenge. |
It was a tightly contested first half with Galway fighting
against a stiff breeze as well as a physically strong Wolfe Tones. Galway looked to be making some inroads early
in the game with Michael Daly and Fionn Ferguson opening up the Tones defence
on a handful of occasions. Galway failed
to capitalize, and it was the Tones who drew first blood against the run of
play. Andy McDonnell took advantage of
the open space in front of him and his low shot beat the keeper although his
shot looked a little fluffed. Galway
answered in kind immediately, Barry McHugh finished a well worked move to level
matters again and it looked as though a game was on the cards. Galway added a point from Daly, but then it
was the Tones who made hay for the rest of the half.
Three more goals before half time had to have dampened
Galway spirits. Shea Tennyson added a
second after a good move involving McDonnell, and the third came from Gerry
Troy who finished a move soccer style into the far corner. McDonnell netted his second and the Tones
fourth with half time approaching and Galway wondering how to stop the deluge. Galway had spurned a handful of chances all
through the half, but added a couple of points from Daly and Kevin Cummins just
before the break to alleviate the pressure somewhat. At half time it was a 4-2 to 1-3 Tones lead.
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| Eoin Finnerty and Fionn Ferguson try to make something happen for Galway. |
The Tones played smart in the second half to cope with the
conditions, holding on to possession to make it easy on themselves against the
breeze. Galway had taken two points off
the lead with Eoin Finnerty and Daly scores, however two Dan McCabe strikes
restored the lead.
As time wore on Galway began to take advantage. Five unanswered points reduced the gap to a
goal and with 10 minutes still left the Tones started to look anxious. Eoin Kavanagh had entered the action and
broke a handful of balls to Galway’s advantage, while Daly was the fulcrum
through which much of Galway’s scores came from. Daly, Cummins, Eoin Finnerty and Jason Lyons
accounted for the Galway scores as Galway patiently chipped away at the
lead.
The Tones got back to the
possession game, and after a couple of wayward efforts, a somewhat fortunate
goal came their way. Paddy Keenan
thought he had a penalty after being upended in the box, but after referee John
Farren did not blow the whistle, Keenan’s shot was half blocked and looped into
the back of the net and the Galway comeback was over. Six point game again and three minutes to go. The Tones saw it out to the final whistle
with two points from substitute Liam Galligan, and are now two wins from two
games.
Galway: J. Kelly, G.
McGoy, J. Kennedy, S. Cullen, J. Kehoe, C. Mannion, P. Naughton, M. Daly, F.
Ferguson, K. Cummins, J. Lyons, E. Finnerty, B. McHugh. Tones:
P. Miskell, R. Driscoll, D. Maguire, S. Driscoll, M. O’Grady, G. Brilly,
I. Whelan, P. Keenan, M. O’Brien, A. McDonnell, G. Troy, S. Tennyson, D.
McCabe.
By Rory O'Donnell
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