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Article Date: 20/01/2010
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MISSION NOT ACCOMPLIHED
Galway would have been very disappointed to be only one point ahead of a sluggish Sligo team at half time on Sunday. The first round of this FBD encounter was played in good conditions in Tuam with the tribesmen playing against a moderate breeze.
Galway were quick off the mark with a well taken Nicky Joyce point. There were three frees in the first three minutes and the sound of the whistle was to interrupt proceedings at least 26 times in the first half alone. Joyce converted one of these frees on the three minute mark. Pressure was the order of the day for the Yeat’s men but the defence of McGuire, Davey and Brian Kennedy (Tourlestrane) held up well.
On the sixth minute Adrian Marren took the initiative to score a nice point from an awkward enough angle. Sligo were awarded two more frees but most of the action was still in defence
A bad wide was all Adrian Marren had to show for his efforts when he received a great pass on the ten minute mark, a point at least was achievable.
Darren Mullahy had to leave the action about 13 minutes into the game. The Galway player sustained what appeared to be a collar bone injury during the normal course of play.
The highlights of the next few minutes of play were a great bit of fielding by Nicky Joyce, Adrian Marren failing to convert a free and the same Joyce blasting a goal chance wide.Claregalway’s JP O’Connell scored a magnificent point at 19 mins. A time when Sligo was living dangerously in their own half. In the next five minutes a total of eight frees were awarded with the Yeatsmen failing to convert two reasonable chances. Johnny Davey received yellow for pulling down a goal bound Galway forward. The incident only merited a free which Nicky Joyce easily converted. Kenneth Sweeney scored a magnificent point at 26 minutes to keep an under pressure Sligo side in touch. Sligo were indulging in a lot of passing in their own goal area. This would not be recommended in any game but on Sunday the real possibility of conceding a free within easy striking distance had also to be considered given the ease with which play was blown up for the slightest misdeamor.
Sligo somehow muddled through until the break with Marc Breheny converting a free to leave them within a point of the tribesmen a score line that did not reflect Galway’s superiority. A good effort by Pádraig McGolderick failed to hit the target in the last action of the half.
Adrian Marren was fouled in the last minutes of the first half and Marc Breheny converted a free in the first action of the second half when the Curry man was fouled yet again. Kenneth Sweeney failed to add to Sligo’s tally when his effort skirted wide of the left hand post but Galway’s Owen Concannon made no mistake when he converted to put his side in front yet again. Adrian Marren could not find the target either and Concannon recorded another nice score. A feature of this period in the game was some great defending by Charlie Harrison. Nicky Joyce failed to convert a simple free as Joe Keernan introduced fresh legs into his side in the form of Michael Martin and Anthony Griffin.
Joyce then converted from play and Declan Meehan did likewise with a lovely score. It was Kevin Walshes turn to introduce new blood and he brought on Pádraig Clarke(St.Patrick’s) for his senior debut. Nicky Joyce failed to convert two easy free chances but Marc Breheny made no mistake when two quick frees brought the ball within striking distance. Sligo missed a further chance at 23 mins. But Joyce made no mistake when he converted, having been fouled by Noel McGuire. Joyce was to convert again at 25 mins. And Brian Murphy(Tubbercurry) was introduced for Noel McGuire.
Owen Concannon’s effort came off the post to land in the Sligo goal mouth but both Phillip Greene and Nicky Joyce were caught napping. Greene was following the flight of the ball skywards and was unprepared when it landed back in the square. Thankfully Nicky Joyce was equally unprepared and didn’t take advantage of the gift that was presented to him.
The game finished as it had started with a succession of frees one of which resulted in yet another Nicky Joyce point.
Kevin Walsh did not hide his disappointment at a poor Sligo effort. What was worrying for all concerned was that Sligo had fielded a reasonably strong team and key players were well below the fitness levels of their Galway markers.
Nobody should read too much into this performance as the panel did not get together on grass until the day before the match when the selection was finalised. Walsh’s ambitions for Sligo include their defeating his native County. He wanted that victory on Sunday, now it appears that he will have to wait until the Connacht final.
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