Bleak weekend for Galway GAA
Date Published: 21-Aug-2012
It was a bleak weekend for Galway GAA with three of the county’s teams crashing out of their respective All-Ireland title challenges at the semi-final stage.
The Galway minor hurlers, reigning All-Ireland champions, were toppled by Munster champions Tipperary in the semi-final at Croke Park on Sunday; the Galway senior camogie team suffered a seven-point defeat to Cork, also at the penultimate stage of the All-Ireland series; and the Galway intermediate hurlers lost out to Kilkenny in Tullamore on Saturday.
The only positive result for a team in maroon and white over the weekend was the Galway senior ladies outfit who trounced Clare, 5-19 to 2-16, to book their place in the All-Ireland semi-final for the first time in seven years.
The big disappointment was the failure of the Galway minors to reach the final to make it a double header with the seniors at GAA HQ on September 9. The Tribesmen had a plum start, and were 1-1 to no score up inside a few minutes with Jason Flynn raising a green flag but slowly the Premier County grew into the game and made it to the break 1-7 to 1-6 ahead of the defending champions.
The main talking point, and the turning point, in this exhilarating clash, was the sending off of Galway captain Paul Killeen for an innocuous challenge that was hardly a foul never mind a yellow card.
The full-back was marshalling Stephen Cahill in the 44th minute and was deemed by referee Tony Carroll to have fouled the sharpshooter, although TV replays confirmed a second yellow card was very harsh punishment. At that stage, Tipperary were in control, leading 2-11 to 1-11, and looked the better team, and from there on in, with an extra man, William Maher’s charges protected their lead and outscored their opponents five points to three in the last 15 minutes.
For more, read this week's Connacht Sentinel.