Galway flush Royals away in one-sided league clash

Meath 0-6

THOSE Galway football supporters who weren’t at Pearse Stadium on Sunday didn’t miss a whole pile. Indeed, they should be counting their blessings as a weather-marred one-sided encounter hardly trumpeted the arrival of the National League.

Having got used to the indoor comforts of the Connacht Air Dome on their run to FBD League success, the rain and wind in Salthill probably came as a shock to the Galway players’ system, but it didn’t deter them from the task in hand.

The ball was greasy, the pitch was slippery, and the hostile elements buffeted the players, but only one team showed up. Galway won in a common-hack canter to maintain their encouraging start to 2022. Three matches: three wins.

In contrast, Meath were wretched. Failing to score in the opening half – even allowing for the strong wind into their faces – was embarrassing for this level and they simply weren’t tuned-in to the demands of the occasion.

Meath have a proud footballing tradition, but this was a miserable day for them. A slew of unforced errors, some atrocious finishing, and a lack of typical Royal vigour underlined why they have fallen so far behind the country’s top teams over the past decade.

Andy McEntee has tried manfully to revive Meath’s fortunes since his appointment in August of 2016, but many more experiences like this and the natives will be getting restless again. The County Executive wanted rid of him last Autumn, but the clubs saved him. After Sunday, McEntee probably wished they hadn’t.

The Meath manager had a face like thunder after a match in which his team never made a contest of. It was a demoralising outcome and their handful of supporters in the crowd of about 3,500 must have harboured genuine fears of their team not scoring at all as the third quarter evolved.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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