AFTER CONTESTING THE All-Ireland final almost 12 months ago to crashing out at the quarter-final stage yesterday, it’s apparent that the Galway footballers have regressed.
A knockout tie against neighbours Mayo was always going to be a tight contest, but Pádraic Joyce’s side were outmatched in the second half on Sunday. As they prepare for a long winter ahead, they will be plagued by the errors that contributed to their downfall, particularly in the first half when they were dictating matters.
Let’s consider some of the factors that might explain where the wheels came off for the Tribesmen in 2023.
1. Injuries and key absentees
The Galway infirmary was well populated this year with key players that they can’t really do without. Last September, in the wake of their All-Ireland final defeat, Galway lost defender Kieran Molloy to an ACL injury. His Corofin teammate Dylan McHugh told the media in May that Molloy had resumed straight line running at that stage, but he didn’t complete his recovery in time to feature this year. Fellow Corofin man Liam Silke was also missing this year as he opted out of the panel to stay in New Zealand where he works as a doctor.
During the early stages of the league, Damien Comer and Rob Finnerty were both struck down with injuries, with Comer suffering another recent hamstring setback that ruled him out of the Armagh game. He returned to play the first half of the quarter-final against Mayo but was withdrawn at half-time. McHugh was also absent for that Armagh game and didn’t appear against Mayo.
Their captain and versatile full-back Seán Kelly, picked up what looked to be a nasty looking ankle injury against Armagh. His inclusion in the team to face Mayo was a relieving sight for Galway fans, but he moved laboriously throughout.
All of those clips, niggles and long-term wounds can’t be ignored when writing up Galway’s report card.
2. Dip in form
The obvious name that comes up with this discussion point is Shane Walsh. And it’s true, the 2022 Footballer of the Year nominee didn’t repeat his feats of last year. His imperious display in the All-Ireland final that yielded nine points has possibly cursed him in that respect. Once a player manages to exceed the standards of others, that then becomes their new benchmark. Every subsequent performance is measured off that. Walsh struggled to return to that level of excellence this year from play as well as frees, hitting a few scoreable chances wide against Mayo. There was also the game-saving free which he missed against Armagh.
He still kicked four points in the Mayo game but failed score from play. He finished with five points against Armagh, four against Westmeath and six against Tyrone. He also hit two frees in the Connacht final against Sligo, although we later discovered that he went into that game suffering with a flu.
However, it should be noted that Walsh had a particularly long campaign last season. After contesting the Sam Maguire final, he went on to play in the All-Ireland club final with Kilmacud Crokes who he transferred to in 2022. He took a break earlier this year to travel to Australia, but perhaps some of the fatigue of an exhausting run of games followed him into this summer.
There were positive individual runs this year in the Galway camp though. Peter Cooke is surely in line for an All-Star nomination, while captain Kelly and Matthew Tierney were also solid throughout.
3. Squandering key chances
Galway were looking dominant in the first half of Sunday’s preliminary quarter-final, and by half-time, they were five points clear. But by the full-time whistle, they had racked up just seven scores from 18 shots in open play. Even in the first half, when they were the superior side and backed by the wind, the missed opportunities had an ominous feel about them.
And when Mayo got their breath back in the second half, and Galway couldn’t respond, those squandered chances were even more significant. Tierney was denied a goal in the second half that could have critically altered the outcome of the game.
Walsh missed a penalty opportunity against Armagh last weekend which also proved key. Not only were the chasing a win there, but they were also seeking automatic qualification into the quarter-finals. The loss forced them into a corner in the preliminary quarter-final.
Those slim margins favoured Galway last year. In last year’s Connacht championship, they defeated Mayo by a point, and edged out Armagh after penalties when the sides met in last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final.
4. Inconsistent form in finals
Reaching finals of the All-Ireland series, Division 1 league and Connacht championship in the space of ten months is a sign of progress in one respect, but one win from three attempts is not an ideal return. The recent provincial final was a one-sided affair against Sligo although their semi-final win over a burgeoning Roscommon outfit still makes it a noteworthy triumph.
The All-Ireland final defeat to Kerry was encouraging for a county who had not reached the showpiece event since 2001. And the Kingdom needed a strong finish to clear Galway out of their path. Mayo’s three-point win in the league decider was a bit more convincing.
Even after mentioning the silverware they won this year, Joyce admitted that this was a “poor season overall” for his side and “we’ve no one to blame but ourselves.” And despite defeating Tyrone in the group stage, Joyce seemed concerned about their form. And now those suspicions have been confirmed as they exit stage left.
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