Kernan gets off to a winning start

JOE Kernan has ‘made the start’ in the spiritual heartland of Galway football at Tuam Stadium . . . but his head won’t be in a tizzy following this low key, bread and butter FBD victory over Sligo on Sunday.

After a mainly indoor start to the season, due to the mid-Winter freeze, the former Armagh and Crossmaglen manager will be happy to see his charges return to a grass surface – last Sunday also afforded him the chance to have a look at the fringe players in his squad.

Galway were without the Corofin contingent – concentrating on their All-Ireland club campaign – while other big name absentees included Finian Hanley, Joe Bergin, Diarmuid Blake, Padraic Joyce, Michael Meehan and Sean Armstrong.

Sligo were also well down on numbers – due mostly to the call of third level colleges involved in the FBD – and struggled up front to cause Galway any difficulty. At the other end, Nicky Joyce’s seven point tally represented the main difference between the sides.

Still, a crowd of about 1,200 turned out for the opening action of the season and afforded them the opportunity of having a first look at the new experimental rules which include the awarding of a mark for a clean catch of a kick-out between the 45s, no square ball from open play, the elimination of the ‘open palm’ hand pass and all kick-outs to be taken from the 13m line.

However one of Gaelic football’s oldest problems continued to give most trouble last Sunday, namely that of the personal foul. This 60 minute tie yielded over 70 frees, which completely disrupted the flow of the match, and made for very disjointed fare.

Next Sunday, it’s off to the Leitrim village of Ballinamore for an encounter with the home side, which is likely to be more intense than the Sligo tie.

For Frank Farragher’s full match report see page 29 of this week’s Sentinel