Gallant Galway girls force fancied Dublin to dig deep

Galway 2-9

By DARREN KELLY IN KINNEGAD

GALWAY’S minor ladies footballers were stopped at the All-Ireland semi-final stage for the second successive season last Thursday as Dublin held out to take a three point victory.

With summer conditions in force, both teams served up an excellent game with goals from Zainab Rather and Alisha O’Malley giving Galway the edge early in the second period.

But momentum slipped from the Tribesgirls over the next 20 minutes as they were outscored 0-7 to 0-1. Even though there was one late charge from the Connacht champions, Dublin held out to book a final meeting with Cork.

It was always going to be interesting to see how this occasion would affect them since their provincial competitions.  Galway’s free kick shootout with Mayo was eight weeks previously; Dublin had to go a further four weeks back to their first Leinster Final win in seven years against Kildare.

From the opening attack, Hannah Mangan won possession and started a move that included the tightly marked O’Malley. She set up Niamh Ní Fhátharta for the point inside 15 seconds.

Admittedly the game turned on a fluke. Charlie Murphy dropped a ball down towards Molly Bourke on three minutes but the sun affected her vision and keeper Eadie Ryan to bounce over both and into the net.

It set the Metropolitans up and they were six points clear on 10 minutes. Gemma Connolly kicked a free, Zara Flood tallied two from play, while a Bourke placed ball made it 1-4 to 0-1.

Dublin could have been out of sight only for the reaction from Ryan. Having being caught for the goal, she proceeded to deny Laoise Murtagh and Keeva O’Donovan moments later. She finished this game with five top drawer saves and, along with Mangan, was Galway’s best player.

“It just wasn’t our day today,” said Galway manager Terry Delaney. “That’s just the way football is sometimes. Bounce of the ball, three points. We had our chance to go ahead and to hold onto it. But to be fair to Dublin, they ran at us all day.  They took their points well.

“Eadie kept us in the game with five fantastic point blank saves. And other than that, hats off to Dublin. They were the better team on the day.”

Pictured: Galway's Eadaoin Hynes comes under pressure from Lile Tully of Dublin during the All-Ireland LGFA minor semi-final in Kinnegad last Thursday.