No surprises nor even streakers at Hyde Park. Galway coasted to the Bank of Ireland Connacht championship yesterday with a comfortable win over a Leitrim unit that was stretched throughout. The manner of the win perhaps checked the orbiting expectations John O'Mahony's team have generated after their ominous semi-final match against Sligo but they were never seriously troubled.
Leitrim's early hesitancy saw them slip into a quagmire and with half an hour to go, another deluge looked on the cards. But Joe Reynold's team are nothing if not resilient and they toughed it out when it might have been easier to quit. Despite a spirited surge midway through the second half, they could not, however put any serious squeeze on Galway who galloped away easily if less than sensationally at the close.
It was, at times an appallingly poor match, particularly in the first half when there was a serious worry that Galway might reflect upon this campaign as one during which the toughest opposition had come from New York. Leitrim, however, rallied and with a predominantly young team can take much out of this summer.
John O'Mahony could, before this championship, hardly have anticipated such an untroubled passage back to Croke Park. The worry is that the tameness of this campaign might sting them further on up the road. In truth, they could have done with a longer period of rebellion from Leitrim yesterday.
Despite the untidy nature of this victory, they do possess an enviable depth - the early injury to Tommy Joyce was seamlessly dealt with through the introduction of Shea Walsh. Paul Clancy is delivering on the promise that was cruelly robbed by injury two seasons ago and Jason Killeen had another encouraging day at centre half. After broadcasting a dream of an advertisement a month ago in Sligo with a sublime shooting display, the Galway forwards sent out a different message yesterday. True, they have a blistering array of attacking talent - Padraig Joyce and Derek Savage were at times mesmerising to watch - but this was a wasteful, sometimes indulgent display overall, leading to 18 wides. Had Galway executed with the same ruthlessness as they did the last time out, it could have been a truly grim day for Leitrim. The shame was that an ultimately brave and encouraging effort came a little too late. Down 1-8 to 0-2 after 39 minutes and trembling in the wake of fine Galway points from Joyce, Paul Clancy and Savage, they looked to be on the verge of a pasting.
But a series of distant frees from Aidan Rooney revived them and with 20 minutes left, they took the game to Galway with Seamus Quinn particularly inspirational bursting through for a memorable point which left the gap at 1-9 to 0-6.
A similarly bold Pat Farrell point further reduced the deficit a minute later but Galway always engineered a suitable response and spared themselves any late palpitations.
While the forwards posted mixed performances, it was a banner day for the Galway defensive six. Declan Meehan trailed the busy Gareth Foley tirelessly and helped initiate many Galway attacks with his lightning bursts forward.
A constant thorn for Leitrim, his performance was one the highlights of an ordinary day. Gary Fahy had another accomplished afternoon at full back, forcing Adrian Cullen into submission after 35 minutes while Ray Silke, the 1998 captain, gave a flawless, crafty old display in the corner.
The Leitrim back six faced torrents at times but hung grimly in. Derek Kelleher had a fine afternoon, particularly during the torrid moments of the first half when his team were seriously listing. Ollie McGuinness and Ciaran Murray also toiled relentlessly long after the cause was gone and John McKeon stayed loyal to the frankly daunting duty of shadowing Joyce.
The outsiders struggled bravely from the outset to gain some sort of foothold around a midfield that was governed by the languid newcomer, Joe Bergin, and his more established stable-mate Sean O Domnhaill.
A late cameo by Kevin Walsh hints that Galway might be in a position to unveil the All-Ireland winning duo for the semi-final but what a prospect young Bergin is. A natural jumper, he also possesses neat ball-skills and a tireless engine. His early energy, in particular, left Leitrim flailing and what chances they did create, they spurned.
The opening period of the match was edgy and listless and, disappointingly, seasoned players Aidan Rooney, Paul Kieran and Padraig Kenny all failed with eminently scoreable free-kick opportunities which would have done much to settle the team.
Galway were messy during this period also but so dominant were they that the scores inevitably mounted. The crucial sequence arose after 13 minutes when Joyce benefited from a typically probing Michael Donnellan ball and hit the deck when bearing down on the Leitrim goal. Whether there was a foul or not was hard to determine but Derek Savage nailed the resultant penalty. From that moment, it looked as if Leitrim were all but chasing ghosts, trailing by 1-2 to 0-0.
With Leitrim still dazed, Galway almost waltzed in again, with Finnegan's snap shot snuffed out by the regrouping Leitrim back line. Yet Galway, astonishingly, managed just another two scores from then until the break and had Leitrim shown more verve in their own execution, they could have reeled their opponents back in. However, they remained scoreless until the 32nd minute, when Rooney dispatched a free.
Galway's early flurry after the break pretty much ended the suspense. Leitrim rallied enough to suggest that the spirit of '94 remains, if not quite the substance. There were plenty of cobwebs about Galway yesterday and they are well aware that next time out will be a furnace of a new intensity. But recent history suggests they have the qualities to deal with that.
