Sport

Galway get things back on track

Galway 1- 22  Offaly 1-18   GALWAY, HAVING been swept away by Tipperary the previous week, got their league aspirations back…

Mon Mar 22 2010 - 00:00

Galway 1- 22  Offaly 1-18  GALWAY, HAVING been swept away by Tipperary the previous week, got their league aspirations back on track with a victory at Pearse Stadium on Saturday.

Galway were always in control but a second-half surge from Offaly might have yielded a dividend had they been able to make the most of several goal chances late in the game.

Offaly manager Joe Dooley lamented his side’s failure to convert those chances as he felt they could have got a draw.

“We were slow out of the blocks in the second half,” he said, “but we played very well and were a bit unlucky maybe not to get a draw. We only got one point out of two 21-yard frees.”

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Galway manager John McIntyre said that while they are a work in progress, they are heading in the right direction: “If we had everything right in the middle of March with nothing left to learn for the rest of the league then I think we’d be in trouble. Some of the guys neglected the basics of keeping it simple and keeping it direct and we played ourselves into trouble.”

The accuracy of Ger Farragher from frees, sideline and open play, ensured Galway pulled away and build up a healthy 1-13 to 0-8 interval advantage.

The sides exchanged points four times in the opening 11 minutes of the second-half without the tempo of the game ever rising above the mediocre were Galway 1-19 to 0-13 in front after 50 minutes.

Joe Bergin responded for Offaly and then sub Joe Brady somehow gained possession in a crowded goalmouth before blasting to the net to leave five between them.

But they needed at least another goal to seriously threaten Galway and they were not able to grab it.

GALWAY:C Callanan; D Joyce, S Kavanagh, F Moore; D Collins, T Óg Regan, J Lee; G Farragher (0-6, two frees, two sideline), D Burke (0-2); K Hynes (0-1), C Donnellan (0-2), E Ryan (0-4); N Cahalan, N Healy (0-3), A Harte (1-3). Subs:F Coone for Cahalan (46 mins), R Cummins (0-1) for Hynes (55 mins), C Dervan for Regan (70 mins).

OFFALY:B Mullins; J Rigney, D Kenny, M Verney; G Oakley, P Cleary, D Morkan (0-2); D Molloy (0-1), R Hanniffy (0-1); C Mahon (0-1), K Brady, D Currams; S Dooley (0-4, three frees), J Bergin (0-4), B Carroll (0-4). Subs:J Brady (1-1) for Molloy (half-time), D Franks for Rigney (half-time), G Healion for Currams (46 mins), C Parlon for Mahon (59 mins), D Hayden for Oakley (65 mins).

Referee:J McGrath (Westmeath).