Galway 1-13
Roscommon 1-9
Kevin Egan reports from Dr Hyde Park
A COLLECTIVE DISPLAY of defensive soundness, sprinkled with a little bit of stardust from Damien Comer up front, was just about enough to see Galway manoeuvre their way through a tricky and tense battle with Roscommon at Dr Hyde and set the Tribesmen up with a Connacht Final date with Sligo in a fortnight.
Roscommon made a strong surge in the third quarter but over the course of game they didn’t have the craft needed to open up the Galway defence, and were reduced to hit-and-hope high deliveries into the Galway square by the end.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given that these two sides had the best defensive records in the top division of the Allianz Football League, both teams set their stall out by looking after business in front of their own goal, and trying to maintain a solid structure.
With players flooding back at both ends of the field, attacking play was slow and methodical, with Galway using a lot of lateral passing moves and looping runs from inside forwards, while Roscommon tried to run in straighter lines and draw frees, with limited success.
After a tense and tight first 15 minutes however, with two points on the board for each team, Galway began to turn the screw, controlling play that bit better, not to mention taking advantage of Roscommon mistakes.
A wild long ball from Conor Carroll with no real direction was quickly hoovered up, returned at pace, and ultimately yielded a point from a Shane Walsh free. Carroll redeemed himself with a fine save to deny Comer after another errant pass, this time from Ciaráin Murtagh, left the Rossie defence wide open.
In a game where scores were hard to come by, those punishments, not to mention some fine individual scores from Damien Comer, helped Galway to an 0-7 to 0-3 half-time lead, which seemed substantial given the nature of the game.
Instead, Roscommon suddenly showed up, and the 16,917 crowd was really brought to life.
Ciaráin Murtagh added to his three first half frees with Roscommon’s first point from play, Conor Daly and half-time substitute Cian McKeon got in on the act with points, and when Enda Smith’s first significant contribution to the game saw him win a high ball from Ben O’Carroll and slip in Murtagh, and once the St Faithleach’s man blasted the ball inside Bernard Power’s near post, the Rossies had a most unlikely lead.
With Galway on the rack, this was the point where they needed to press home their advantage, but they couldn’t quite do it. Ben O’Carroll robbed a Galway kick out and played in Conor Cox who dropped the ball in their most glaring opportunity, and gradually last year’s All-Ireland finalist were able to reset.
Matthew Tierney, who had a quiet game overall, kicked one mark and another excellent point to follow, John Maher clipped one over from close range, and the Tribesmen were back in control when a high ball from Dylan McHugh crashed off the post and was seized by Comer, and as he showed all the power and strength that has become his trademark, he slammed the ball past Conor Carroll to give Galway a four-point lead again at the start of the final quarter.
Successive scores from McKeon and Murtagh left Roscommon within a goal, but there was no sign that they had the wherewithal to craft that type of score, and without ever hitting the high notes, Galway were able to hold off their neighbours and extend their 33-year unbeaten championship record against Roscommon at Dr Hyde Park.
Scorers for Galway: Damien Comer 1-4, Shane Walsh 0-2f, John Maher 0-2, Matthew Tierney 0-2 (0-1m), Johnny Heaney 0-1, Ian Burke 0-1, Cathal Sweeney 0-1.
Scorers for Roscommon: Ciaráin Murtagh 1-6 (0-3f), Cian McKeon 0-2, Conor Daly 0-1.
Galway:
1. Bernard Power (Corofin)
2. John McGrath (Caherlistrane) 3. Seán Kelly (Maigh Cuilinn) 4. Jack Glynn (Claregalway)
7. Cathal Sweeney (Salthill-Knocknacarra) 6. John Daly (Mountbellew-Moylough) 5. Dylan McHugh (Corofin)
8. Paul Conroy (St. James’) 9. John Maher (Salthill-Knocknacarra)
11. Johnny Heaney (Killanin) 12. Peter Cooke (Maigh Cuilinn) 10. Matthew Tierney (Oughterard)
13. Ian Burke (Corofin) 14. Damien Comer (Annaghdown) 15. Shane Walsh (Kilmacud Crokes)
Subs: Robert Finnerty (Salthill-Knocknacarra) for Heaney (61), Cillian McDaid (Monive-Abbey) for Cooke (66), Daniel O’Flaherty (Salthill-Knocknacarra) for Sweeney (70+2), Dessie Conneely (Maigh Cuilinn) for Burke (70+2).
Roscommon:
1. Conor Carroll (Oranmore-Maree)
6. Brian Stack (St Brigid’s) 3. Conor Daly (Pádraig Pearses) 4. David Murray (Pádraig Pearses)
5. Niall Daly (Pádraig Pearses) 2. Conor Hussey (Michael Glaveys) 7. Eoin McCormack (St Dominic’s)
8. Keith Doyle (St Dominic’s) 12. Enda Smith (Boyle)
9. Dylan Ruane (Michael Glaveys) 10. Ciaráin Murtagh (St Faithleach’s) 11. Ciarán Lennon (Clann na nGael)
13. Ben O’Carroll (St Brigid’s) 15. Diarmuid Murtagh (St Faithleach’s) 14. Donie Smith (Boyle)
Subs: Cian McKeon (Boyle) for D Smith (half-time), Conor Cox (Éire Óg) for D Murtagh (47), Cian Connolly (Roscommon Gaels) for O’Carroll (60), Richard Hughes (Roscommon Gaels) for N Daly (62), Daire Cregg (Boyle) for Ruane (65).
Ref: David Gough (Meath).
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