Stars make short work of Shamrocks

CORTOON SHAMROCKS 1-2

FRANCIS FARRAGHER AT TUAM STADIUM

A BRIGHT day for the Stars at Tuam on Sunday as expectations of a real derby dogfight between the North Galway neighbours failed to materialise with last year’s defeated county finalists in a different class from start to finish.

There had been some loose talk about Tuam not being on full gas this year but that rumour mill had its credibility well and truly shattered by the time the interval whistle sounded and Cortoon trailed by 0-8 to 0-2.

Tuam might have failed at the last hurdle last year but they still got there – what they had last Sunday in their local stadium before a crowd of about 600 people was a freshness and sharp attacking edge that the Shamrocks just could not match.

It was a match that never got into any feeling of rhythm or flow as referee Muiris MacGearailt always erred on the side of caution, with the whistle sounded on most occasions when there was any real physical contact – the first half yellow carding of Tuam centre back Tony Costello for a harmless push in the back took some figuring out.

Cortoon did battle hard but they could never secure enough primary possession between the two 45s to feed a forward line starved of ball in the first half – however when a decent quota of chances presented themselves in the second half, the Shamrocks failed to raise a flag from play. Quite realistically they could have added 1-4 to their final tally.

To borrow a rugby expression, the Stars ‘choke tackled’ this match in the first half, primarily due to the hunger of players like Noel Henry, Tony Costello, David Connern, Gary O’Donnell, Paul Collins and John Lawless.

Tuam had the first half breeze at their backs playing into the town goal and there was a real diamond tip to their final line of attack with Conor Doherty, John Ross Bodkin and Niall Quinn all doing a lot of damage. Read more in this week's