Galway 2-26; Down 3-21
What’s wrong with teams this year? Kerry aren’t like Kerry, Dublin aren’t like the Dubs, Donegal are hot and cold, and Galway, many people’s favorites for this year Sam Maguire, are masters at this stage of providing the good and the bad in football so often that we are just waiting for the ugly to appear one of these days.
They were 10 points up at half-time at a packed Pairc Esler which showed their good traits, but Down reduced the deficit to five in no time. Galway responded with more good stuff before the resorted to some bad play, which had manager Pádraic Joyce sweating bucketfuls before the escaped to victory with only two points of a winning margin and having conceded no less than 3-21.
From now on, this good and bad mix will see the Tribesmen out on their ear because let’s face it, Down are no world beaters, they don’t really figure in Ulster and yet theY scared the pants off the Connacht champions before losing out in a titanic finish which saw two late goals scored.
Yes, the two-pointers change the complexion of games but surely Galway with a 1-16 to 1-6 at the interval should have gone on to record an easy victory.
Yet within three minutes of the restart this happened - two two-pointers for Down by Daniel Guinness and Míceal Rooney, a real goal chance by Adam Crimmins saved and a one-point free by Pat Havern, which cut the lead to five.
As mentioned previously, Galway found a “good” vein with the excellent Matthew Thompson, Rob Finnerty and Matthew Tierney all landing good scores. Then Daniel Guinness raised a white flag and Crimmins landed a free to make it 1-15 to 1-21.
Squandermania cost The Mournemen in the following phases before sub Caolan Mooney found the range with a two-pointer to give the big home support hope going down the final straight.
Shane Walsh showed his class despite a shoulder injury to record another two-pointer. Odhran Murdock got in for a goal though to make it a three point game 2-19 to 1-24 with six minutes remaining.
It was strap on your seat belts from there to the finish as Galway sub Tomo Culhane got in for a goal which seemed to seal the deal for the visitors.
Down kept plugging away and a goal from Ryan Magill once more made it a three-point game 3-19 to 2-26. Céin D'Arcy landed a point to relieve the Galway sideline’s cardiac problems and with the last play after the hooter, Ryan McEvoy scored a two-pointer. Two little and too late.
Galway: C Flaherty; J McGrath, S Fitzgerald, L Silke; D McHugh, S Kelly, C Hernon; P Conroy, J Maher; C D'Arcy (0-1), M Tierney (0-2), C McDaid (0-2); R Finnerty (0-6, 0-1f, 1tp), S Walsh (1-7, 1tp, 2tpf)), M Thompson (0-5, 1tp) Subs: P Cooke (0-1) for Conroy (47) D O'Flaherty (0-2) for Hernon (56), J Heaney for McDaid (60), T Culhane (1-0) for Walsh (62), McDaid for J Heaney (69).
Down: R Burns; P McCarthy, P Fegan, C Doherty (0-1); R Magill (1-0), P Laverty, M Rooney (0-2, 1tp); D Guinness (0-4,2tp), R McEvoy (0-2, 1tp); D Magill (0-2), O Murdock (1-2), A Crimmins (0-1f); J Guinness (0-1), P Havern (0-2f), J McGeough (1-1) Subs: E Brannigan (0-1) Blood Sub McCarthy (21), Brannigan for McCarthy (h-t), C Mooney (0-2) for McGeough (52), O Savage for Doherty (57), C McCrickard for Crimmins (61), F Murdock for Rooney (65)
Ref: D O'Mahoney (Tipperary).
