Senior Football - Shannon Blues v Galway

Shannon Blues 4-19 Galway 1-20

Shannon Blues recorded a second win following a tough encounter with Galway.  The teams were neck and neck for most of the game, but in the final quarter the Blues pulled away as Galway tired.  A late Paul O’Donoghue penalty saw the St. Mary’s man net a hat trick, as goals were the downfall of Galway for a second week in a row.

Daragh Roche has the goal in mind. 

It was a rip roaring opening half, three goals and a plethora of points were fairly evenly divided and saw he teams take the break with a point between them, in favor of the Blues.  The Blues got off the mark with three points on the trot, another game where Galway gave themselves some catching up to do right off the mark.  Once they got going, the Tribesman started to flow.  With Declan Walsh in the half back line, and Eoin Gallagher motoring up front Galway were back in it.  Points from Gallagher, Cian McMonagle, and Gallagher again saw Galway into a two point lead.  But back came the Blues with a goal from a fantastic solo effort by Paul O’Donoghue.  The Kerryman blasted the ball into the far corner.  Daragh Roche got motoring then, the Blues found the Glenflesk man at every opportunity and he converted.  Three Roche points in a row saw the Blues ahead by 4.  Galway kept it reined in, Adam Gallagher netted following a tricky ball floated across the square, but the Blues soon cancelled it out with another Donoghue goal.  Galway finished the half strong with four on the trot, Adam Gallagher, Walsh, and McMonagle converted to make it a 1-11 to 2-9 half time score.

Brian Fanning keeping a tight rein on 

Cian McMonagle.

After Galway leveled affairs the Blues hit with a third goal.  This time O’Donoghue was the provider and Roche the finisher by palming the ball into the net.  Galway were still very much in the game and pulled back two points through Gallagher and Alan Egan.  The teams traded points before the Blues started to slowly add to their lead.  Galway started to slow down as the running earlier in the game began to take its toll, while the Blues introduced fresh legs from the line to keep the tempo up.  Roche and O’Donoghue restored the 3 point gap, after that Galway could not reduce the deficit any longer.  The Blues pulled away, putting seven over the bar to Galway’s four points in the final 15 minutes.  Galway still in search of a first win, while the Blues in good position after 3 games.

Blues:  Mike Moriarty, Brian Fanning, PJ Hand, Dennis McEligott, Michael Cottrell, Patrick Crowley, Maurice Young, Jerry Troy, Conor Fitzgerald, Brian Egan, Paul O’Donoghue, David Mannix, Daragh Roche.

Galway:  Jamie Kelly, Daire Quinn, Paddy Naughton, Tom Davey, Declan Walsh, Sean Moriarty, Alan Egan, Ray Connelly, Stewey Cullen, Eoin Gallagher, Adam Gallagher, Jaime Keigh, Cian McMonagle.

By Rory O'Donnell