Sunday June 1: Junior A Football - Shannon Blues v Galway

Shannon Blues 2- 10 Galway 1-6

Shannon Blues earned their first 2 points of the junior A championship with a convincing win over a battling Galway.  Two second half goals were the deciding factors in a game that did not have much in it until the final 15 minutes.  The Blues were able to spread the scoring around the forward line, whereas for Galway it was Neil Rossiter who accounted for all of the tribesmen's points.

Conor Mullen kept the Blues going in the right direction.

It was an entertaining first half of football.  The Blues played some nice football going forward.  Pat Murray and Pat Moriarty were very involved in proceedings, as was Conor Mullen  and Tommy Hernon.  Not firing on all cylinders perhaps, but firing to a nice degree.  The Blues found themselves with chances at goal on a couple of occasions.  First Pat Moriarty took advantage of the space that opened in front of him and shot from inside the 21, but corner back Paul Cummins blocked the shot.  Conor Fitzgerald later forced a great save out of Martin O'Connor in goal for Galway.  O'Connor tipped the ball over with an acrobatic save.  Mullen, Cathal Fields, Moriarty and Hernon were on the mark for the Blues.  For Galway there was Neil Rossiter at center forward who accounted for their 4 points of the half from center forward.  Galway also got a fine performance from Paul Cummins at corner back as the Blues half time lead could have been more than the 2 points.  At the break it was 0-6 to 0-4 for the Blues.

Shannon Blues sealed it in the second half with 2 goals.

The Blues struck with a goal mid way through the second half to put 6 points between themselves and Galway.  Galway were hanging in, with darting runs forward from Gary Patterson at wing back, and the scoring touch of Rossiter.  After the Blues had added a point to their lead, and with three points separating the teams, Cathal Fields' superb strike doubled the gap between the sides.  Fields received the ball with room outside the 21 and shot into the top left corner.  Galway lost Cummins at the back due to injury, and Blues struck with a second goal from Conor Fitzgerald with less than 10 minutes to go.  The goal knocked the wind out of Galway's sails and the Blues continued to enjoy the upper hand for the remainder of the game.  A late goal from Caolainn Fitzmaurice decorated the scoreboard for Galway, but the Blues were full value for their win.

Blues:  M. Moriarty, C. Long, S. Sinnott, K. Byrne, J. Craig, D. O'Brien, P. Murray, C. Mullen, C. Fields, P. Moriarty, C. Fitzgerald, T. Hernon, S. Griffin.  Galway:  M. O'Connor, P. Cummins, K. Gallagher, G. Patterson, JJ O'Neill, D. Brennan, P. Ryan, T. Moloney, M. Molloy, N. Rossiter, C. Kerins, J. Doyle, C. Fitzmaurice.

By Rory O'Donnell