Walsh pleased as new talent shines
GALWAY manager Kevin Walsh said that he is pleased with the response he is seeing from trying out several new players during this FBD League campaign.
He fielded a side containing six members of this year’s Under-20 team as they chalked up a third win in the competition to set up a final meeting with Roscommon for the fourth season in a row.
‘It’s been a good competition for us, even if the weather has made it challenging. But the response from the new lads has been good, we need them to push on as we have an awful lot of injuries heading into the League,’ said Walsh.
‘We have also lost a few very experienced lads to retirement, so it’s important that others step forward and a make a mark. In fairness, it was hard to take a swipe at the ball in this one, the weather was so bad.
‘Indeed, fair play to both teams for getting through it. It was tough,’ said Walsh after a contest played in driving wind and rain in Clonbur.
A solid opening half against the driving wind and rain laid the foundation for this deserved Galway success in atrocious conditions
Goals from Dessie Conneely and a penalty by Frankie Burke helped Galway race into a 2-2 lead after just eight minutes despite playing against the wind.
But Leitrim settled and took charge of proceedings and hit seven points in as many minutes, with Darragh Rooney getting them off the mark after ten minutes.
Brendan Gallagher and Darren Carberry landed two points each and Donal Wrynn and Shane Quinn also found the target.
But their hopes suffered a big blow after 25 minutes when a lobbed effort from Conneely ended up in the net and that helped Galway lead by 3-3 to 0-7 at the interval.
The weather deteriorated after the restart and while Galway extended their lead with points from wing-backs David Wynne and Johnny Heaney three minutes after the restart, they only managed a point from Rob Finnerty after that.
Leitrim got just one point against the wind when Noel Plunkett scored but both sides deserve enormous credit for playing in such dreadful conditions.
‘It was very difficult to play,’ said Leitrim manager Brendan Guckian. ‘It was disappointing to concede the goals in the first-half but we have learnt a lot from this competition and we just need to regroup now for the League.’ GALWAY: J Keane; E Kerin, S Mulkerrin (J Duane, BC 28), D Kyne; J Heaney (C Sweeney 62), G Bradshaw, D Wynne; C D’Arcy, J Maher (K Duggan 35); E Finnerty, E Murohy, E Brannigan (P O Griofa 56); F Burke (B McHugh 63), D Conneely, R Finnerty.
Scorers: Galway: D Conneely 2-0, R Finnerty 0-4 (2f), F Burke 1-0 (pen), J Heaney 0-1, D Wynne 0-1.
LEITRIM: D McKiernan; J Mitchell, M McWeeney (A Armstrong 50), M Murphy; K Keegan (L Ryan 62), C Canning, S Quinn (A Flynn 70); D Wrynn (C Moreton, 34), D Moran (N Plunkett 36); C Gallagher, E Ward (J O’Brien 47), J Rooney; D Carberry, D Rooney, B Gallagher.
Scorers: B Gallagher 0-2 (2f), D Carberry 0-2 (1f), D Wrynn 0-1 (f), S Quinn 0-1, D Rooney 0-1, N Plunkett 0-1.
Referee: Barry Judge (Sligo).