Galway vs. Monaghan: Pearse Stadium, 14th Feb. 2010

[charlie linkbox]

Right.

So we're off to Salthill next Sunday and we should be encouraged by what was a decent performance against Cork.

My musings from the last day........

Positives
3-12: good scoring.
Darren Hughes had a phenomenal game. He's fast becoming one of our most important players.
Dermot Malone and Colm Greenan had decent debuts. Malone's a hardy wee buck and Greenan should have done enough to warrant a starting place next Sunday.
We showed good character to come from 5 or 6 down midway through the second half to almost snatch a win.
Dick Clerkin put is as fine a display as he's ever put in. Handled a lot of ball and made some purposeful runs.
Vinny Corey won nearly every ball that went into him – good target man.

Negatives
3-13: bad defending
I don't trust Sean Gorman in goals yet. Maybe it's just me but he looks like he has mistakes in him.
The starting full back line lacked a commanding presence - too small. Darren Hughes and Vinny Corey are the obvious solutions but they do too much good work out the field to be constricted by full-back duties. It's a conundrum.
Francis Caulfield – nowhere near good enough. A decent mark or two does not compensate for his lack of speed, lack of mobility or lack of confidence on the ball.
About a dozen wides in the first half, many of which were eminently scoreable. Hopefully the radar is more focused the next day.
Tommy missed a few.
Two up with a few minutes left and we let it slip.

Overall I'm optimistic. Cork were physically much bigger, we conceded a few bad goals (which I would hope won't happen again), and we missed a right few chances - yet we only lost by one. If we can get the shooting boots on and tighten up at the back we're well fit to come away from Salthill with two points. 

[bingobus]

I've not heard too many encouraging comments yet on Caulfield. A big lad but like Benny McKenna in the past, he may not have it for intercounty level. From watching him in club football, I didn't think he'd make the step up. A solid club player but not that extra factor to make it. I do hope he gets another few runs at NFL before the year is out and he find another gear.

Good to see Hughes back alright and young Malone has a great package, small but will work all day. Needs to add a few scores to his game. Hope Marty McElroy gets another run out, another hardly player.

Just a pity the pick of the players coming through are all in Jinxys mould rather than Eoin Lennons!

[GalwayBayBoy]

We were very poor against Mayo the last day anyway. Arguably our worst display in the league in a decade. Any repeat of that performance and we would be well beaten by just about anyone in Division 1 or 2.

Given that whoever loses on Sunday will be in a relegation fight given the games to come after that a win is important for both sides.

[armaghniac]

I predict that one of the ex-Armagh management team will have a win this weekend.

[Farrandeelin]

I predict that one of the ex-Armagh management team will have a win this weekend.

It could be a draw!

I thought that was the worst EVER Galway display I witnessed against Mayo on Sunday.

[timmyot501]

Looking forward to the weekend. Hoping to head over on Friday night but sure if its Sat morning so be it. Would hope the team to be fairly similar to the one that started the 2nd half last weekend. Young Greenan needs a few games to see what he is up to. Tightened the thing up well last week when introduced. Thought McAdam and Malone did enough to hold onto their spots.  Maybe Doogan to get a run this weekend.  I'm all for trying out one or two now so they can show if they are up to it or not.  It's all well and good showing up well in the McKenna cup but its now that it matters.

I'd give Caulfield another few chances too. I thought he did ok on Sunday.  He was put in there to contest kick-outs against Corks huge men around midfield and he did catch a few and break a lot. Clerkins engine makes up a fair bit for Caulfields lack of speed.  May not be the answer but I'm glad we are trying some alternatives now rather than i the summer (even if it is forced experimenting due ot Lennons injury).

[thewanderer]

The feeding would need to be good in galway to satisfy the management hope there,s good security near the dugouts if big joe and paul meet sparks could fly.

[Maguire01]

Monaghan badly needing a win here, otherwise we have to win 3 out of our last 5 games - with Kerry, Tyrone, Mayo, Derry and Dublin to play, it won't be easy. Need to be picking up 2 points here - it looks like one of our best chances - but no doubt Galway will feel they have a point to prove.

[GalwayBayBoy]

The Galway team for Sunday shows a number of changes from last weeks line out:

A Faherty replaces P Doherty in goal with T Fahy and D Blake coming in defence for N Coyne and G ODonnell and P Conroy moves to midfield in place of M Lydon with M Clancy, M Meehan and C de Paor coming in up front to replace P Kennedy and M Martin and to fill Conroys vacant no 11

1 Adrian Faherty
2 Donal O'Neill
3 Finian Hanley
4 Tomas Fahy
5 Gareth Bradshaw
6 Diarmuid Blake
7 Declan Meehan
8 Joe Bergin
9 Paul Conroy
10 Matthew Clancy
11 Cillian De Paor
12 Niall Coleman
13 Michael Meehan
14 Nicky Joyce
15 Sean Armstrong

A better team on paper anyway that started against Mayo last weekend. A couple more back.

[imtommygunn]

What age is Declan Meehan? He's been about a right while...

[GalwayBayBoy]

What age is Declan Meehan? He's been about a right while...

I think he's either 32 or 33. Great player in his day but I think he probably should have hung them up after last year. He's a shadow of what he once was and gives the ball away for fun these days. Not sure he'll still be making the team once the Corofin lads are back but he's been a regular under Kernan so far although that's only been a couple of games.

Good career all the same and owes Galway nothing. Scored one of the great All-Ireland final goals in 2000.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hJqekgl5wg

[charlie linkbox]

Monaghan line-out is the same as the last day except Colm Greenan starts for Donal Morgan and Shane Duffy is back in goals.

That means it'll be

1.   Shane Duffy
2.   Dermot McArdle
3.   Darren Hughes
4.   Colm Greenan
5.   Damien Freeman
6.   Gary McQuaid
7.   Neil McAdam
8.   Paul Finlay
9.   Francis Caulfield
10.   Dick Clerkin
11.   Dermot Malone
12.   Conor McManus
13.   Martin McElroy
14.   Vincent Corey
15.   Tommy Freeman

[Buckass]

Dec Meehan will be 34 this year, he has been playing with the seniors since 1996, lot of miles on the clock, still fit as a fiddle but seems to have lost the spark he once had

[GalwayBayBoy]

Galway 1-20 Monaghan 1-14

Vastly improved performance from Galway this week against a strong Monaghan side that pushed Cork hard last week. Galway lined out with 3 changes to the announced team. Gary O'Donnell, Cormac Bane and Fiachra Breathnach in for Declan Meehan, Matthew Clancy and Cillian de Paor. Hanratty started for Monaghan. Good first half of open football saw Galway race into a 6 point lead at one point. Even managing to get on top at midfield and picking up breaking ball far better than they did last week. Even managed to win some marks. Hallelujah. Galway went in leading at half-time by 0-12 top 0-7.

Early in the second half Monaghan got back into the game thanks to two misplaced short kick-outs from Adrian Faherty in the Galway goal that led to straight to two Monaghan points. Monaghan got it back to one point briefly but Galway replied with a couple of scores until mid-way through the second half when Paul Finley saw a second yellow card after himself and Diarmuid Blake were pulling out of each other. Galway then went 7 points clear and another Monaghan player picked up a second yellow to reduce them to 13. Game petered out then but Monaghan got a late goal from a high ball booted into the Galway square that was knocked down and put in the net. Galway replied with an even later goal from Nicky Joyce.

Good game overall with some great scores taken on both sides but it went a bit shapeless after the sendings-off and a few substitutions were made. Wasn't a dirty game at all so strange to see two sent off. Ref was very fussy though. I lost count of how many frees he gave for illegal handpasses. Must be well over a dozen at least.

Michael Meehan and Sean Armstrong were excellent for Galway. Monaghan had real trouble containing them. Nicky in and out until he lashed his goal home but did pick up a few points as well. Bane and Coleman fairly quiet. Fiachra Breathnach did score 0-2 in the first half. Young Danny Cummins was very lively after coming on. A small lad but he caught one magnificent high ball over two or three bigger Monaghan players. He injected a bit of pace into the attack. Midfield much better this week. Bergin a bit wasteful with possession at times though but got through a lot of work. Entire defence put a good shift in but slackened off and lost concentration when they let Monaghan in for a goal when they were down to 13 men. Should not be caught out like that. Faherty in goal made an excellent save from Hanratty in the first half but his two wayward short kick-outs gave Monaghan a lifeline early in the second-half when they needed it.

Good crowd from Monaghan at the game.

Match was a must-win as the top division is a real dogfight this year. Tough away fixture down in Cork up next.

[donelli]

Ref had a shocker. Blew for "illegal" handpasses about 20 times. It was very frustrating for both set of fans.reckon he got a dressing down from someone at ht as he didn't stop near as much inthe 2nd half. Made it hard to watch.  Finlay was very hard done by being sent off. Monaghan collapsed after that after havin such a great start in the 2nd half. Big loss for Monaghan now as must win ateast 3 of our remining 5 games to stay up. Some great scores from both teams. Huge Monaghan support. Meehan is a class act. Massive game v Tyrone for Monaghan in 3 weeks.