Big Win for The Kille’s over Brighton rivals Galway

By Rory O’Donnell

 

Intermediate Football Semi-Final

St. Columbkilles 4-12 Galway 1-5

 

St. Columbkilles put in their best performance of the season at the right time as they progressed to the Intermediate Football Final for the first time in three years at the expense of Brighton rivals, Galway.  Having won the two regular season games it may have been said the Galway had the psychological advantage, but beating the same team three times in one season is not an easy feat as the tribesmen were to find out.

 

By the time the first half ended St. Columbkilles held a seven point lead.  It could easily have been level as Galway failed to capitalize on two penalty kicks.  Colin Murphy spread himself for the first one and Tom Hawkins’ low, hard shot rebounded out past the 21.  Hawkins tried a different approach for the second but the ball sailed wide of the keeper’s top left corner.  Six points missed for Galway.  St. Cols first 15 minutes put them into a six-point lead before Galway scored.  It could have been more if the St. Cols forwards had chosen the one point option instead of the three several goal attempts were made when a point might have been the easier option.  Mick Lyons and Pat Patten goaled for the Killes, while Salthill man Eugene Greaney put some good scores over the bar in the first quarter.  Galway found their way into the game in the second quarter, but with the two golden chances that went awry, they found themselves seven points in arrears at the half.

 

Some switches for Galway saw JJ Doyle moved from midfield into corner forward as Galway went in search of an early second half goal.  It did not happen.  The goals went to St. Columbkilles.  Two more came in the second half, Greaney and Daniels the scorers.  Jonathan Daniels did well at corner forward, and it was mostly defending for St. Columbkilles in the second half but they scored enough to keep any chance of a Galway comeback an unlikely prospect.  Dave Lally may have been the best performer for Galway in the middle of the field, and Nigel Fleming also tried to rouse the troops, but it was not to be.  For St. Columbkilles Niall Clarke covered the half back line well, and Darragh Keane and Brendan Foley did well to keep the lively Galway corner forwards in check.

 

St. Columbkilles will meet Mayo in the final next week, and it is very doubtful that the game will be as one sided – on the scoreboard anyway – as this.  Mayo are unbeaten, and have also had the measure of next Saturday’s opponents during the season.  Pat Hart is one of a number of players who will lead the charge for the westerners in their bid to go one step better than last year and win the championship.  St. Columbkilles maybe coming into their own however, and an exciting final awaits next Saturday.

 

St. Cols:  Colin Murphy (Gaillimh), Damien Lee (Ath Cliath), Brendan Foley (Loch Garman), John Cunningham (Tir Chonaill), Niall Clarke (Ath Cliath), Rory McTiernan (Gaillimh), Ryan Bradley (Tir Chonaill), Mick Lyons (Ath Cliath), Pat Patten (Maigheo), Paddy McKenna (Tir Eoghain), Paul Cronin (Chill Maintain), Eugene Greaney (Gaillimh), Jonathan Daniels (Chill Maintain).  Subs: Darragh Keane (Ath Cliath), Donnacha Lee (Ath Cliath), Gearoid Fitzgerald (Luimnigh), Steven McGarrigle (Aontroim), Colm Morris (Ros Camain).  Galway:  P. Cuthbert, P. Nolan, S. Byrne, M. O’Connor, P. O’Connell, B. Trainor, D. Lally, JJ Doyle, T. Hawkins, JJ O’Neill, N. Fleming, D. Redmond, P. Atkinson.