Galway on brink of reaching league final after latest win

Galway’s Sean Kelly comes under pressure from Roscommon’s David Murray during Saturday's National Football League tie at Pearse Stadium. Photo: Enda Noone.

placeholder image — Galway’s Sean Kelly comes under pressure from Roscommon’s David Murray during Saturday's National Football League tie at Pearse Stadium. Photo: Enda Noone.

GALWAY 1-17

ROSCOMMON 1-10

Kevin Egan at Pearse Stadium

GALWAY footballers will travel to Omagh next Sunday with a place in the Allianz League Final on the line after the Tribesmen easily swatted aside an anaemic Roscommon challenge at Pearse Stadium last Saturday.

After the game, Galway manger Kevin Walsh said that their primary aim was to avoid relegation and that he was pleased to have achieved that goal, though he must surely have been doubly pleased to see his side so dominant against one of their key provincial rivals.

“Since the start of the year we wanted to stay in Division One and we’ve achieved that now. Also, we wanted to get some newer players playing, and we’ve achieved that as well” was the summary of the former All Star midfielder.

“We asked them to try and dictate the game from the start, and get a lead and try and hold it, and in fairness to the lads they did that today,” added Walsh.

In truth, Galway didn’t just dictate this game, they ruled it with an iron fist – though that was more down to the inadequacies of their opponents as anything else. Other Division One counties would surely have made much more hay in the first half of this game, when Galway played with the aid of the wind but failed to take full advantage.

Danny Cummins was tireless and got on a mountain of ball, but several of his possessions were wasted. Gary O’Donnell rampaged forward time and again, kicking one fine score in the first half but butchering three other opportunities as well, while Shane Walsh was guilty of a shocking lapse in concentration when he fired a 13-metre free, taken from inside the arc, off the post and wide.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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