Galway hold their nerve again to edge out Donegal

Donegal 0-15

IT’S been a tough grind all year but Galway footballers’ relentless pursuit of a first All-Ireland senior title since 2001 continued successfully at Croke Park on Sunday when edging out resurgent Donegal in another encounter which went down to the wire.

That’s the sixth time this summer – against Sligo, Mayo, Westmeath, Armagh, Dublin and now Donegal – when Galway diced with defeat only to keep coming up with the answers to stretch their unbeaten championship run to nine matches.

Significantly, it’s surprise All-Ireland final opponents Armagh who were the only ones not to buckle against Galway in the teams’ stalemate group encounter at Markievicz Park in mid-June and that outcome only whets the appetite for what’s about to come at GAA headquarters on Sunday week.

In the interim, Galway can celebrate their latest high-wire victory in front of a huge following in the crowd of over 67,000. It’s taken time, but at long last the Tribesmen’s supporters have really rallied behind a team which doesn’t know how to be beaten.

Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final between the champions of the North and the West was no Gaelic football blockbuster, but it was a compelling struggle for supremacy where the margins for error were miniscule and the teams were level on ten occasions.

On an emotional week for Galway football following the sad passing of twice All-Ireland winning manager John O’Mahony, the men in maroon again underlined their obdurate nature despite captain Seán Kelly being a late withdrawal and fitness concerns remaining over Shane Walsh and Damien Comer.

Galway’s two highest profile players were understandably pressed into action for such a high stakes battle, but neither understandably left the desired impact on the action and both were replaced before the end. Comer didn’t score and Walsh only managed one point from play.

It’s not that long ago that Galway appeared so dependent on this duo that it would be difficult to imagine them progressing deep into the championship without Comer and Walsh operating at close to full tilt. Conversely, it now shows the in-depth strength of the Galway squad.

With Kelly out and Cian Hernon, who picked up a serious hand injury in training since their seismic defeat of All-Ireland champions Dublin, also sidelined, it meant the injury woes which have stalked the Galway camp remains a negative if not overwhelming factor.

Against that background, for Galway to preserve their division 1 league status, retain the Connacht title and reach only a second All-Ireland Final in 23 years underlines the spirit, focus and character in their camp. Nothing has broken them.

Pictured: THE KEY MOMENT: Galway's Matthew Tierney attempts to make contact with a Paul Conroy delivery but the ball ends up in the net against Donegal goalkeeper Shaun Patton in the first-half of Sunday's All-Ireland senior football semi-final at Croke Park. Photo: Seb Daly/Sportsfile.