Galway minor footballers ready to test the mettle of star-studded champions
AND then there were two. The Galway minor footballers’ summer voyage, which began in earnest in Kiltoom in June, culminates in an All-Ireland decider at a sold-out GAA headquarters on Sunday (1.15pm) against the aristocrats of the game, Kerry.
For any young teenager with an interest in kicking ball – it doesn’t get better than this. It’s what sporting dreams are made of.
The county’s minor footballers are bidding to secure Galway’s first All-Ireland title at this grade in nine years – not since Alan Mulholland’s squad, captained by Paul Conroy, beat Derry in 2007, has the Tommy Markham Cup resided in the City of the Tribes.
Galway have already achieved their pre-season target of bettering last year’s run, by qualifying for a semi-final, and playing in Croke Park, and so they are in bonus territory now after defeating Donegal last month.
The pressure is off. But finals are there to be won, and manager Stephen Joyce is hoping his charges can seize the day despite Kerry’s overwhelming favourites’ tag.
“If you rise to the occasion on the day, put pressure on Kerry that maybe they haven’t experienced so far then you’d be hopeful it would reap benefit for you. You just want to play to the best of your ability, and if it’s good enough, it’s good enough. We’d be hoping if we play to our max, we should be there or thereabouts,” said the Clonbur man.
Not unbeatable but Kerry are certainly no slouches. And this crop of naturally talented footballers, who play with a confident swagger, is the latest off the Kingdom’s conveyor belt, as they bid for a three-in-a-row of U18 titles.
“I think Kerry realised a few years ago that they were being left behind. And they just started working on underage, and there’s a lesson there to be learned for us all.
“We’re looking forward to Sunday. We know we’re up against it. Kerry have huge talent. Obviously there’s a lot of working going on down there, the way they’ve been producing minor teams over the last few years. They’ve put a lot of work into underage teams and that is beginning to show now.
“They would have to be (favourites). This team is supposed to be better than the last two Kerry teams (who won All-Irelands in 2014 and 2015),” said Joyce.
Galway’s march to the final has been solid rather than spectacular. Comprehensively beating Roscommon in the Connacht semi-final (3-11 to 1-7), set them up nicely for a tilt at the ‘auld enemy’ Mayo, and they rose to the challenge at Pearse Stadium running out 1-9 to 0-6 winners in the decider.
The quarter-final win over Laois was a bit of a roller-coaster as Galway produced a mix bag – they were brilliant at times in the 3-10 to 0-12 victory but drifted out of the match at key stages and allowed the Leinster men back into it.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune