A little bit of everything as Galway held in bizarre tie

MEATH  1-12

A MATCH that had more than a hue of the split-personality syndrome about it, ended in deadlock at Pearse Stadium on Sunday, but afterwards the respective managers could be forgiven had they sought some counselling sessions.

For the first 35 minutes, Meath were utterly dominant and Galway could do nothing right while for most of the second half those roles were completely reversed – in the end, a draw was probably the fairest result and gave each side a reasonable dividend from a bizarre encounter.

Galway came into this Division 2 National League tie trying to build on a remarkably vibrant performance in Derry a week previously, characterised by a whirlwind start, but this time around it was Meath that charged from the blocks with all the power of a Usain Bolt.

Mick Dowd’s side were in control across all areas of the pitch and especially in the centre third where Galway just couldn’t buy a break – on top of all that, typical of when things aren’t going well, Murphy’s Law seemed to be afflicting Kevin Walsh’s charges with a vengeance.

A 17th minute Eamon Brannigan shot that split the posts for what seemed Galway’s first score of the match was called back for over-carrying . . . an intended Paul Conroy backpass to keeper Manus Breathnach that went astray set up the simplest of Meath goals . . . while just before the break Damien Comer was black-carded.

Newman’s 32nd minute goal – the easiest he will ever score – along with points from Seán Tobin, Eamon Wallace, Graham Reilly, Newman and Donal Lenihan had Meath in front by 1-8 to 0-2 by the time Cork referee, Conor Lane, sounded the interval whistle.

Two well struck Galway points from play supplied by Eddie Hoare and Damien Comer represented the only trinkets of hope for the maroon followers in the crowd of 2,700. Based on the evidence of the first half, there seemed to be absolutely no way back for the home side.

David Wynne, Declan Kyne, Eddie Hoare, Adrian Varley and Damien Comer had fought bravely to keep Galway in touch but they seemed to be in trouble in far too many key positions to have any hope of extracting anything from the game.

Cillian O’Sullivan was giving Gary O’Donnell a torrid time at centre back while around the midfield sector, Enda Tierney, Paul Conroy and Tom Flynn, just couldn’t get their hands on the ball. It seemed an utterly lost cause for Galway.

Kevin Walsh tried to shake things up at half-time with the introduction of Gary Sice for Enda Tierney while just before the break Danny Cummins came on for the black-carded Comer. The transition that followed for most of the second half was quite astounding.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.