Advertisement
Jarlath Mannion scores Galway's third goal. James Crombie/INPHO
Dominant

Galway start league campaign with 30-point hammering of Westmeath

Shane O’Neill’s side are off to a flying start with a 5-34 to 1-16 win.

Galway 5-34

Westmeath 1-16

John Fallon reports from TEG Cusack Park

SHANE O’NEILL’S GALWAY got their Allianz League campaign off to a flying start when they eased to a 30 points win at TEG Cusack Park in Mullingar.

They were never troubled by Westmeath and all players in the starting side from the half-back forward hit the target for Galway.

Galway had the win wrapped up by the interval when they led by 3-18 to 0-10 after playing with the breeze.

All six forwards had scored from play by the 15th minute when Conor Cooney landed a good effort from the right.

That put the Tribesmen 1-7 to 0-4 in front after captain Conor Whelan pounced for the opening goal when a long delivery from Cathal Mannion slipped in behind Darragh Egerton and Conor Shaw for the Kinvara clubman to blast to the net.

Niall O’Brien did his utmost to keep Westmeath in touch with deadly accuracy from frees, while Ciaran Doyle hit two good points, including the score of the game when he struck first-time from 40 metres on the right after a pass from Davy Glennon, who was making his Westmeath debut against his native county with whom he won an All-Ireland medal in 2017.

Brian Concannon set Niall Burke up for Galway’s second goal after 18 minutes as they picked off scores from all angles, with Evan Niland hitting nine points in the opening half, seven of them from frees and many of them from well out the field.

The third goal came a couple of minutes before the break when Niland and Cathal Mannion combined and Ja Mannion supplied a fine finish to the net.

They got their fourth shortly after the restart when a superb pinpoint pass from Cathal Mannion put Brian Concannon through and he finished into the bottom right corner.

They continued to add points before Westmeath pulled back a goal when substitute Niall Mitchell hooked Galway goalkeeper Eanna Murphy and finished to the net.

That left Westmeath trailing by 4-23 to 1-11 after 47 minutes and Galway added a fifth goal just after the second water break when Conor Cooney soloed through and blasted to the net.

Scorers for Galway: Evan Niland 0-13 (0-10 frees), Conor Cooney 1-5 (0-1 pen), Niall Burke 1-4, Ja Mannion 1-3 , Brian Concannon 1-1, Conor Whelan 1-0, Shane Cooney 0-2, Fintan Burke 0-2 (0-1 sideline), Cathal Mannion 0-2, Johnny Coen 0-1, Aidan Harte 0-1.

Scorers for Westmeath: Niall O’Brien 0-11 (10 frees), Niall Mitchell 1-0, Ciaran Doyle 0-2, Shane Williams 0-1, Joey Boyle 0-1, Davy Glennon 0-1.

Galway 

1 Eanna Murphy (Tommy Larkins)

4 Jack Fitzpatrick (Killimordaly)
3 Gearoid McInerney (Oranmore Maree)
2 Sean Loftus (Turloughmore)

5 Aidan Harte (Gort)
6 Shane Cooney (St Thomas’)
7 Fintan Burke (St Thomas’)

8 Johnny Coen (Loughrea)
9 Cathal Mannion (Ahascragh-Fohenagh)

10 Conor Cooney (St Thomas’)
11 Evan Niland (Clarinbridge)
12 Brian Concannon (Killimordaly)

15 Conor Whelan (c) (Kinvara)
14 Niall Burke (Oranmore Maree)
13 Jarlath Mannion (Cappataggle)

Substitutions

19 Darren Morrissey (Sarsfields) for Fitzpatrick (21)
17 TJ Brennan (Clarinbridge) for Harte (43)
18 Joseph Cooney (Sarsfields) for Concannon (43)
20 Jason Flynn (Tommy Larkins) for Niland (56)
21 Diarmuid Kilcommins (Annaghdown) for Loftus (56)

Westmeath 

1 Eoin Skelly (Na Fianna, Dublin)

2 Darragh Egerton (Clonkill)
3 Tommy Doyle (Lough Lene Gaels)
4 Conor Shaw (Brownstown)

5 Alan Cox (Delvin)
6 Aaron Craig (St Anne’s, Wexford)
7 Derek McNicholas (c) (Lough Lene Gaels)

8 Robbie Greville (Raharney)
9 Davy Glennon (Mullagh, Galway)

12 Jack Galvin (Cullion)
11 Ciaran Doyle (Raharney)
10 Joey Boyle (Raharney)

13 Niall O’Brien (Castletown Geoghegan)
14 Darragh Clinton (Delvin)
15 Shane Williams (Lough Lene Gaels)

Substitutions 

26 Niall Mitchell (Clonkill) for Galvin (21)
17 Tommy Gallagher (Castlepollard) for Cox (half-time)
23 Josh Coll (Delvin) for Clinton (42)
19 Kevin Regan (Cullion) for McNicholas (49)
20 Peadar Scally (Clonkill) for Gallagher (56-60 blood)
22 Shane Calvin (Castletown Geoghegan) for Greville (62)

Referee: Sean Stack (Dublin)

Your Voice
Readers Comments
12
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

    Leave a commentcancel