Moycullen made to work in fending off brave St James’

St James’ 2-9

JOHN FALLON at Pearse Stadium

THE conundrum from this one is whether the depth Moycullen had to dig to carve out victory will strengthen them for their semi-final clash with Tuam Stars or was it indicative that they are still a work in progress before they can be regarded as serious contenders?

Key to that argument, however, is an appreciation that St James’ put in a serious shift and had they not fallen off the pace in the third quarter, when they were outscored by 0-7 to 0-1 against the wind, they might this week be preparing for a last four clash with the most prolific winners of the Galway SFC title.

This contest, by far, was the best of the four quarter-finals at Pearse Stadium over the weekend. The big players stood up for both sides. Paul Conroy, Johnny Duane and Eoin Concannon led the challenge for the city side and got plenty of help throughout the field.

Moycullen, though, had more players really on top of their game. The Kelly brothers, Sean and Paul, were key, so too was skipper Dessie Conneely in the second-half. Gareth Bradshaw used all his experience when it mattered and David Wynne also produced a big shift in the half-back line when it was needed most. Tom Clarke and Mark Lydon reduced Conroy’s influence around the middle of the field after the break while up front Conor Bohan and Antrim’s Owen Gallagher kicked five points from play between them.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app

The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.