Galway’s future looks that bit brighter as they secure second under-21 title in three years

GALWAY 1-14 CORK 1-11

In these days of creatine and whey protein smoothies this was a purely refreshing serving of football. Now, if only all games could be played in such freewheeling spirit and vitality.

Surely, sooner rather than later, Galway can take this latest All-Ireland under-21 title and turn it into the real thing - perhaps this summer taking a few larger than expected steps in that process.

Cork deserve equal credit for helping make such a gripping contest – despite neither team scoring for pretty much the last quarter of the game. Galway in fact survived the last 20 minutes without adding to their total, while Cork – who found themselves chasing down a nine-point lead - simply ran out of time.

Galway manager Alan Flynn made no secret of the need to start transferring some of their obvious talent to the senior grade: while this marks Galway’s fourth All-Ireland under-21 title since 2002 (and second it three years) it contrasts with a very poor record during that period at senior level, especially outside of Connacht.

“I think we’re lucky we do produce really good forwards,” said Flynn, “with that natural ability. I would see a lot of that in the senior team, too. If they can just get over the first couple of games. But to win two titles at this grade, from three, is a good return. There’s only four there from the previous time, but that’s the beauty of the competition, and why I love it, because it’s nearly a brand new group ever year. Everyone starts off again, and sees how far they can go.”

People talk about sleeping giants in sport, too, and this Galway team look like giants already, especially around midfield: Fiontán Ó Curraoin won barrels of ball, his high-fielding a joy to watch, his low arm carriage in movements off the ball reminiscent of you-know-who; Thomas Flynn was almost as good alongside, and together they were the engine room of Galway’s slick-running machine.

True beauties
The scores that won it for them are each worthy of description, if only space allowed: Cathal Mulryan and Ian Burke hit some true beauties, as did Shane Walsh from the placed ball, while Damien Comer's goal on 41 minutes – Mulryan and then Adrian Varley launching the initial attack – was finished with truly thundering aplomb.

When Paul Varley and David Cunnane tagged on further points Galway went nine points clear – 1-14 to 0-8 – and looked to be home and hosed: instead, Cork threw everything at them, Brian Hurley's goal on 45 minutes, followed by points from substitute Cathal Vaughan and Dan MacEoin reducing the deficit back to three, which is where it stayed until the end.

The mere 60 seconds of injury time surprised almost everyone in the 4,324 crowd, but especially Cork manager John Clearly – not that he used it as any great excuse: “Well I couldn’t believe it. I mean their goalkeeper was down for at least two minutes. But that’s nit-picking. We needed a goal anyway. They always had that cushion, and deserving of their win in the end.

“Maybe they were that small bit sharper. If we got it back down to one point it might have put some doubts in their minds. We’d a lot of opportunities. I think we’d something like 14 opportunities front of goal in the first half, and we only took five. They had 11, and took nine. That was the difference really.”

So, as Ó Curraoin took the title back west of the Shannon , all thoughts were already turned to Mayo and the Connacht championship opener in just two weeks’ time: “I think it has to be a boost, for the Mayo game, and I think there is a real sense this team can push on from this. But there is a big gap to senior, so we’ll have to keep working hard.”

GALWAY: T Healy; E Walsh, J Shaughnessy, D Cunnane (0-1); M Loughnane, D Burke, P Varley (0-1); T Flynn, F Ó Curraoin (capt); C Mulryan (0-3), S Moran, D Comer (1-0); S Walsh (0-4, all frees), A Varley (0-1), I Burke (0-4). Subs: C Rabbitte for Moran (48 mins), J Healy for T Healy (49 mins), P Ezergailis for Cunnane (54 mins), G Kelly for A Varley, S Maughan for Burke (both 59 mins).
CORK: D Hanrahan; C Dorman, D Cahalane (0-1, 45), A Cronin; B O'Driscoll, T Clancy, J Wall; S Kiely, I Maguire; A Cadogan (0-1), M Sugrue, J O'Rourke; D MacEoin (0-4, one free), B Hurley (1-4), L Connolly. Subs: J Burns for Kiely (36 mins), C Vaughan (0-1) for Sugrue (39 mins), TJ Brosnan for Wall (42 mins), K Hallissey for Cadogan (58 mins).
Referee:David Gough (Meath).