IN THIS NEW game of Gaelic football, two teams can generate five goals, twelve goal chances, fifty-two scores and yet it can all come down to this; if you miss your sitters, you’ll probably lose.
Galway kicked one wide in this entire game. Some shooting.
At times in front of a crowd of 14,435, Down looked like they could catch fire and take out a massive gun in the All-Ireland championship.
The most glaring was just after half-time after they went in ten points down. They had played against the wind in the first half and the Galway goal came about when Adam Crimmins was grounded with a stray arm that drew blood and forced his substitution, but referee Derek O’Mahony played on and Shane Walsh took a Matthew Thompson pass, rounded Ceilum Doherty and snapped a shot beyond Ronan Burns in the Down goals.
Down had their own goal in the first half – coming with Burns drilling a kickout over the top that the brilliant Odhran Murdock collected, playing in John McGeogh to drill across Conor Flaherty to the corner of the net.
But they had it all to do after Shane Walsh decided to do a takeover of the second quarter. First was his goal. Then came a two-pointer from play. He won the next kickout to set up Rob Finnerty for the next score, before scoring the next himself.
Again, amazingly, he caught another kickout and was fouled by Down full-back Peter Fegan who picked up a yellow card, while Walsh picked himself off the ground to kick the resulting two-point free.
Galway 1-16, Down 1-6. There’s no safe lead in football anymore.
Especially when the first two plays of the second half were two point scores from Daniel Guinness and Miceál Rooney. Down then forced Seán Fitzgerald into an overcarry and pointed the free.
Ten points was now five.
What will haunt the dreams of Down folk thereafter was their shooting malfunctions.
In the first half, Eugene Branagan came on for the injury-stricken Crimmins and in a five-minute cameo, scored a point and linked the play brilliantly.
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But during Down’s period of dominance, he sent three efforts, one for a two-pointer, and two relatively simple ones, wide. Wides also came from Pat Havern attempting a two-pointer and Danny Magill.
This all came when they compiled five consecutive scores to leave two points in it.
With Down now dominating Galway goalkeeper Conor Flaherty’s kickout, Pádraic Joyce sent in Peter Cooke. He immediately competed strong against Murdoch and helped shift the dynamic, scoring himself to stop the flow of Down scores and picking up four possessions from kickouts.
On the hour mark, Shane Walsh’s shoulder finally gave in and he had to make way for Tomo Culhane. Before he came off, he was given the task of a tricky free from the right hand side after a foul on Liam Silke. He swung it over from the ground off his left foot before leaving the stage.
What an encore.
Down then hit the net. Odhran Murdock jinking and weaving and shimmying a tiny gap to squeeze a shot off, but it was cancelled out within four minutes when Culhane was put away by a Cooke flick from a loose ball.
With time running out, another Down goal, this time finished to the by Ryan Magill after a cutting run from Caolan Mooney.
Time was not on Down’s side. Galway survived.
Just about.
Scorers for Galway: Shane Walsh 1-7 (1-0, 2 x 2point frees, 1 x 2 point), Robert Finnerty 0-6 (0-1f, 1 x 2point), Matthew Thompson 0-5 (1 x 2point), Tomo Culhane 1-0, Matthew Tierney, Daniel O’Flaherty, Cillian McDaid 0-2 each, Cein Darcy, Peter Cooke 0-1 each.
Scorers for Down: Odhran Murdoch 1-2, Daniel Guinness 0-4 (2 x 2points), John McGeogh 1-1, Ryan Magill 1-0, Danny Magill, Caolan Mooney 0-2 each, Miceál Rooney 0-2 (1 x 2point), Ryan McEvoy 0-2 (1 x 2point), Pat Havern 0-2 (2f), Ceilum Doherty, Eugene Branagan 0-1 each, Adam Crimmins 0-1 (1f)
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1-7 for Shane Walsh as Galway edge a stone-cold classic in Newry to make quarter-final
Galway 2-5-16 (32)
Down 3-4-13 (30)
IN THIS NEW game of Gaelic football, two teams can generate five goals, twelve goal chances, fifty-two scores and yet it can all come down to this; if you miss your sitters, you’ll probably lose.
Galway kicked one wide in this entire game. Some shooting.
At times in front of a crowd of 14,435, Down looked like they could catch fire and take out a massive gun in the All-Ireland championship.
The most glaring was just after half-time after they went in ten points down. They had played against the wind in the first half and the Galway goal came about when Adam Crimmins was grounded with a stray arm that drew blood and forced his substitution, but referee Derek O’Mahony played on and Shane Walsh took a Matthew Thompson pass, rounded Ceilum Doherty and snapped a shot beyond Ronan Burns in the Down goals.
Down had their own goal in the first half – coming with Burns drilling a kickout over the top that the brilliant Odhran Murdock collected, playing in John McGeogh to drill across Conor Flaherty to the corner of the net.
But they had it all to do after Shane Walsh decided to do a takeover of the second quarter. First was his goal. Then came a two-pointer from play. He won the next kickout to set up Rob Finnerty for the next score, before scoring the next himself.
Again, amazingly, he caught another kickout and was fouled by Down full-back Peter Fegan who picked up a yellow card, while Walsh picked himself off the ground to kick the resulting two-point free.
Galway 1-16, Down 1-6. There’s no safe lead in football anymore.
Especially when the first two plays of the second half were two point scores from Daniel Guinness and Miceál Rooney. Down then forced Seán Fitzgerald into an overcarry and pointed the free.
Ten points was now five.
What will haunt the dreams of Down folk thereafter was their shooting malfunctions.
In the first half, Eugene Branagan came on for the injury-stricken Crimmins and in a five-minute cameo, scored a point and linked the play brilliantly.
But during Down’s period of dominance, he sent three efforts, one for a two-pointer, and two relatively simple ones, wide. Wides also came from Pat Havern attempting a two-pointer and Danny Magill.
This all came when they compiled five consecutive scores to leave two points in it.
With Down now dominating Galway goalkeeper Conor Flaherty’s kickout, Pádraic Joyce sent in Peter Cooke. He immediately competed strong against Murdoch and helped shift the dynamic, scoring himself to stop the flow of Down scores and picking up four possessions from kickouts.
On the hour mark, Shane Walsh’s shoulder finally gave in and he had to make way for Tomo Culhane. Before he came off, he was given the task of a tricky free from the right hand side after a foul on Liam Silke. He swung it over from the ground off his left foot before leaving the stage.
What an encore.
Down then hit the net. Odhran Murdock jinking and weaving and shimmying a tiny gap to squeeze a shot off, but it was cancelled out within four minutes when Culhane was put away by a Cooke flick from a loose ball.
With time running out, another Down goal, this time finished to the by Ryan Magill after a cutting run from Caolan Mooney.
Time was not on Down’s side. Galway survived.
Just about.
Scorers for Galway: Shane Walsh 1-7 (1-0, 2 x 2point frees, 1 x 2 point), Robert Finnerty 0-6 (0-1f, 1 x 2point), Matthew Thompson 0-5 (1 x 2point), Tomo Culhane 1-0, Matthew Tierney, Daniel O’Flaherty, Cillian McDaid 0-2 each, Cein Darcy, Peter Cooke 0-1 each.
Scorers for Down: Odhran Murdoch 1-2, Daniel Guinness 0-4 (2 x 2points), John McGeogh 1-1, Ryan Magill 1-0, Danny Magill, Caolan Mooney 0-2 each, Miceál Rooney 0-2 (1 x 2point), Ryan McEvoy 0-2 (1 x 2point), Pat Havern 0-2 (2f), Ceilum Doherty, Eugene Branagan 0-1 each, Adam Crimmins 0-1 (1f)
Galway
1. Conor Flaherty (Claregalway)
2. Johnny McGrath (Caherlistrane) 3. Seán Fitzgerald (Bhearna) 4. Liam Silke (Corofin)
5. Dylan McHugh (Corofin) 6. Seán Kelly (Moycullen) 7. Cian Hernon (Bhearna)
8. Paul Conroy (St James’) 9. John Maher (Salthill-Knocknacarra)
10. Cein Darcy (Ballyboden) 11. Matthew Tierney (Oughterard) 12. Cillian McDaid (Monivea Abbey)
13. Robert Finnerty (Salthill Knocknacarra) 14. Shane Walsh (Kilmacud) 15. Matthew Thompson (Knocknacarra)
Subs:
22. Peter Cooke (Moycullen) for Conroy (47 mins)
20. Daniel O’Flaherty (Salthill Knocknacarra) for Hernon (56 mins)
25. Johnny Heaney (Killannin) for McDaid (61 – 69 mins)
24. Tomo Culhane (Salthill Knocknacarra) for Walsh (62 mins)
21. John Daly (Mountbellew-Moylough) for Maher (67 mins)
Down
1. Ronan Burns (Drumgath)
2. Patrick McCarthy (Burren) 3. Peter Fegan (Burren) 4. Ceilum Doherty (Kilcoo)
5. Ryan Magill (Burren) 6. Peirce Laverty (Saul) 7. Miceál Rooney (Kilcoo)
8. Daniel Guinness (Carryduff) 9. Ryan McEvoy (Kilcoo)
10. Danny Magill (Burren) 11. Odhran Murdock (Burren) 21. Adam Crimmins (Mayobridge)
13. James Guinness (Carryduff) 14. Pat Havern (Saval) 15. John McGeogh (Carryduff)
Subs:
12. Eugene Branagan (Kilcoo) for Crimmins (22-27 mins)
23. Caolan Mooney (Downpatrick) for McGeogh (53 mins)
22. Oisín Savage (Loughinisland) for Doherty (57 mins)
26. Conor McCrickard (Liatroim) for Crimmins (61 mins)
24. Finn Murdock (Rostrevor) for Rooney (66 mins)
*
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All-Ireland preliminary round Down Gaelic Football Galway Tribesmen