Galway U21s shock Rebels with stunning performance

Galway 1-11Cork 0-12

FRANK FARRAGHER

AFTER many long and dark days, at last an evening of light for Galway football as the county’s under-21s cast inhibition and fear aside to topple a Cork team that came into this All-Ireland semi-final with a super-team tag attached but left with their ambitions in tatters. 

This was a real lift for the spirit of Galway football, sending out a message of hope after many lonesome Sundays – scarcely three minutes into this epic encounter at Cusack Park, Ennis, when the first three high balls around the middle of the field were caught cleanly by maroon hands, one sensed that this was going to be a special evening.

Indeed one of the abiding memories of this match for the hard core of Galway fans who made the trip to the Banner Country on Saturday evening will be that of the county’s two midfielders soaring up for a series of first half kick-outs and winning clean possession – Thomas Flynn and Fionntán Ó Curraoin gave a rousing exhibition of traditional high fielding and quick distribution.

This was really the classic example of taking each game as an entity on its own. Cork came into this match, their ears ringing from lofty praise after a 22 point victory over Kerry in the Munster final and plenty of loose talk about them being the greatest every under-21 side to leave the province.

By contrast, while Galway had handy enough wins over Sligo and Roscommon, serious doubts had been expressed about the quality of the opposition – even in the kick-around and warm-up before the game the body language from Cork was that of a team ready to go through the motions.

Cork spent the best part of the first 20 minutes trying to come to terms with the fact that this was going to be no pushover, only drawing level for the second time in the 23rd minute when Mark Collins pointed from play – once Tomás Flynn fired over the first point after 20 seconds, Galway had their opponents on the back foot.

For more, read this week's Connacht Sentinel.