How do the Irish grow organic breeze blocks?

Dara Bradley

THE Galway minor football management have made three changes to the side that trounced Leitrim a fortnight ago as the county seeks to secure its first Connacht Championship title at this grade since 2007 when they face Roscommon in Dr Hyde Park at noon this Sunday.

Galway minor manager Tommie Joyce and his backroom team of John Concannon, Terry O’Regan and Michael Culhane, have, unsurprisingly, kept faith with the defensive unit that has been solid in the previous two championship outings but have shaken it up once again in the forward division.

Killererin’s Adrian Nolan, centre-back on the St Jarlath’s All-Ireland College’s beaten finalists team earlier this year, has recovered from the ankle injury that ruled him out of the championship opener last month.

Nolan impressed when he came on as a substitute against Leitrim two weeks ago and has been named at wing forward alongside Ian Burke (Corofin), who also came on as a sub scoring 1-1 in Carrick-on-Shannon the last day, taking the centre-forward position and Patrick Glynn is named on the other wing.

Target man St Michael’s Shane Maughan, who did damage to Leitrim scoring 1-7, will line out on the edge of the square, with Kilkerrin/Clonberne men Shane Walsh and Conor Rabbitte named in the corners.

Galway have scored a total of 4-24 in the previous two matches against Sligo and Leitrim – a massive haul for just over two hours of football – but they know scores won’t be easy to come by against Roscommon, who actually trounced an under-strength Galway outfit in the league by more than 10 points earlier this Spring; and who have also had a much sterner test away to Mayo in the Connacht semi-final.

Custodian Conor Gleeson (Dunmore MacHales) remains the first-choice ‘keeper; and captain James Shaughnessy (Ballinasloe) retains the full-back berth in a defensive sextet that is unchanged from that which started the Sligo and Leitrim matches. Shaughnessy is flanked either side by Corofin club mates Liam Silke and Conor Cunningham. Eoin Walsh (Moycullen), Gearóid Canavan (Salthill/Knocknacarra) and Cathal Mulryan (Cortoon Shamrocks) complete the half-backline.

Seán Moran, man-of-the-match against Sligo, who was rested as a precaution due to injury against Leitrim but was sprung from the bench in the second half, slots right back into the starting XV at centre-field alongside Shane Geoghegan (Oranmore Maree), who is improving with every match.

The three players to lose out, and who drop to the bench are Enda Walsh, Gearóid Armstrong and Johnny Kelleher. The latter Oranmore/Maree man, who bagged 2-1 against Leitrim and also impressed when coming on as a sub in Sligo, will no doubt be sprung from the bench as an ‘impact sub’ this weekend.

For more, read this week's Galway City Tribune.