Galway club Football and Hurling thread

[GalwayBayBoy]

Galway county hurling final

Portumna 6-12
Kinvara 0-11

A 19 point thrashing for a young Kinvara team. Portumna saved their best for the final. Too good and too experienced at this level. Joe Canning scored 3-4. On this form Portumna will give the All-Ireland club a good rattle again after Christmas.

[GaillimhIarthair]

Goals give Portumna closure out of storm
Portumna 6-12
Kinvara 0-11


On the podium afterwards the Galway hurling chair-man Mike Ryan was all too willing to smother Portumna with kindness. There was even special mention for that "great, young talent Joe Canning" and the expressed hope that he would soon be back in a Galway shirt.


Senior, we presumed. For Galway hurling and Portumna there are wounds to heal after last year's final controversy. Perhaps yesterday's third title in five years will give the club and county the closure it needs now.

Kinvara were caught in the eye of a vicious storm. Six minutes into the second half Damien Hayes slipped a pass through to brother Niall for his second goal, Portumna's fourth and many in the near 12,000 crowd began spilling for the exits.

Like hungry lions the Portumna forwards chased down defenceless prey all afternoon and gorged themselves on a goal frenzy. Every time the ball went into that zone where the Hayes brothers, Andrew Smith and Canning roamed a goal could be expected.

Kinvara's only previous senior final appearance in 1979 ended in a heavy 13 point defeat to Castlegar. This was worse. Still there is consolation in the fact that 12 months ago they were fighting a relegation battle.

Portumna played as if they had a point to prove and there was no mercy. They were ruthless at every turn and always had the scent of goal.

At times they hurled like a county team with Eugene McEntee magnificent at full-back, Micheal Ryan anchoring at centre-back early on and Eoin Lynch and Peter Smith so dominant at midfield.

Signs of a rout were evident early on and on 14 minutes, when Canning sent Hayes away and he teed up Smith for the opening goal, Portumna tails were up.

Two minutes later Damien Hayes blocked corner-back Aidan Moylan, skipped around him and popped a point to illustrate just how determined to win back their title they were.

It was a chastening experience for an already swamped Kinvara full-back line where Ger Mahon and Alan Leech lacked the necessary support.

Five yellow cards, three for Portumna, in the opening 17 minutes, gave the impression of misplaced intensity and even a small fracas at the end seemed so much out of place with the mood of the day.

Niall Hayes got the first of his goals on 18 minutes and just when Kinvara looked to have stemmed the flow coming up to half-time Portumna piled on 1-2 in just over two minutes -- Joe Canning got the goal -- for a 3-8 to 0-5 interval lead.

The fourth goal killed it and Canning added two more from close range as cracks appeared everywhere for a wilting Kinvara.

The gifted one has been busier and looked lost at centre- forward in the opening 25 minutes but how he can strike a ball. Portumna eased off the gas in the last quarter as Kinvara player manager Gerry McInerney graced his first county final at 42 years of age.

"Last year was a big burden on us with all the controversy so we're delighted to win this," admitted manager Portumna Jimmy Heverin afterwards.

"Of course it rankled with us, particularly with the subsequent suspensions that came out then. We felt it wasn't a reflection on what happened and that made the situation worse but I'd be of the mind that the occasion could have been spoiled for Loughrea as well," admitted Heverin.

"We flagged beforehand that there could have been a problem. We didn't want a big change but our request was denied so I think that distracted us.

"To an extent this will give us closure. We've been playing nervous hurling so this is like a monkey off our back. Hopefully we'll hurl more freely now," he stated. For those with All-Ireland club ambitions that is a chilling thought.

Scorers -- Portuma: J Canning 3-4 (0-3f, 0-1 sl), N Hayes 2-1, A Smith 1-1, D Hayes 0-3, E Lynch 0-2, L Smith 0-1. Kinvara: David Huban 0-7 (6f), A Byrne 0-2, C Kavanagh, Damien Huban 0-1 each.

Portumna -- I Canning; M Gill, E McEntee, O Canning; G Heagney, M Ryan, A O'Donnell; E Lynch, P Smith; N Hayes, J Canning, L Smith; A Smith, D Hayes, D Canning. Subs: K Hayes for D Canning (20), J O'Flaharta for Gill (54), C Ryan for N Hayes (55).

Kinvara -- C Callanan; A Moylan, G Mahon, P O'Sullivan; J Kavanagh, S Kavanagh, A Leech; S Moylan, G Wynne; N Curtin, David Huban, D Smith; C Burke, A Byrne, C Kavanagh. Subs: Damien Huban for A Moylan (ht), P Mahon for Wynne (ht), G McInerney for Smith (42), S Corcoran for J Kavanagh (48).

Ref -- A Kelly.

[GaillimhIarthair]

Milltown's moment of destiny   
Written by John Fallon     
Wednesday, 24 October 2007 

Milltown will enter Sunday's county senior football final at Pearse Stadium on Sunday (3.15pm) confident that they can annex the clubs third title and first since 1981.

But if they are to do so then they will have to kill off the challenge of a Killererin side who have resolutely refused to follow the script this year.

They were dead and buried in the quarter-finals against Salthill but got a break through a dubious penalty and hauled them back for a draw.

They eased through the replay and then did likewise against NUIG in the semi-finals, coming back from a seemingly impossible situation to force a draw and then win the replay.

Such determination would suggest Padraic Joyce and his men have their name written on the cup this year but Milltown have been the form team ever since they sent champions Corofin packing in the early rounds.

Diarmuid Blake, this week named as Galway Footballer of the Year, has led from the centre-back position and John Cullinane, Ciaran Murphy and Sean Hehir have picked off the scores in an attack which looks to have more clout than Killererin.

The Killererin defence is a dogged unit with Tommie Joyce setting the tone at corner-back but while Nicky Joyce and his cousin Padraic will undoubtedly cause the Milltown rearguard trouble, a Milltown side coached by former All-Ireland winning goalkeeper Martin McNamara can seize the moment.

The senior game on Sunday will be preceded by the minor A final at 1.15pm when Monivea/Abbey will take on St James' in what promises to be a cracking game.

It will be a busy weekend for Monivea/Abbey as on Saturday they will meet Moycullen in the county intermediate football final, also at Pearse Stadium (4pm).

That, too, will be part of a double-header with the minor B final taking place at 2.15pm when Spiddal will battle it out with Headford for the title.

[GaillimhIarthair]

Time to deliver for Milltown
Ray Silke talks to Milltown captain Prionsias Glynn
When Prionsias Glynn left St Jarlaths College, Tuam, back in 1993 and headed back to play his senior club football with Milltown, a reasonable expectation he would have had was to contest a county senior final in the next few seasons.

However, fate is a fickle master and it has taken the Milltown captain 14 years since he sat his Leaving Certificate to reach a senior county final. He is now 32 and very keen to try to make his first final count.

"When I started playing with Milltown first we were beaten in the first round of the championship for six or seven years in a row. That was before the back door came into club football in Galway.

"Those defeats every year were very disheartening for the club. Every season we would start with good intentions, but we found it extremely difficult to get any run going at all in the championship and it did knock our confidence a bit."

After St Jarlaths College, Glynn spent a few years in NUIG studying arts and a postgraduate diploma in information technology before heading to work with the Bank of Ireland in Dublin. The commute from the capital to the west was easier in those days, but it still took a genuine commitment to the cause to keep doing so in those dark days. Many another player could have been smitten by the bright lights of the city and even thrown in his lot with one of the big city clubs.

However he is philosophical about the effort he and many players who work away from home put into playing for their clubs.

"I was nothing special going up and down to Dublin for football. Lots of lads do it every weekend for their clubs in both hurling and football and in many ways that dedication to their clubs is what keeps the GAA going.

"Those years when we were beaten in the first round on a regular basis, I didn't have to make too many trips."

However, that was then. He now works with Micros Fidelios here in Galway city and his club is in their first county final in 20 years. Things are looking up.

What has changed things around?

"Well, we are having a good run this year in the championship, but our league form has been very up and down. We need to try to be more consistent in the league, but our main focus all year has been the championship and we'll be judged by our result on Sunday. If we win, it will have been a great season."

A new management team, John Concannon, Martin McNamara, and Michael Rhatigan, took over the reins two years ago, and the 2007 captain speaks highly of the trio.

"We have been lucky to have had several good managers since I started playing with Milltown. Our preparation has been top class, and fair play to them, they have left no stone unturned in getting us to this stage of the championship. Being a club manager takes up a lot of time and John and the two lads have put an exceptional amount of time and effort into their roles in the past two years. Hopefully we can repay them with a good performance on Sunday."

The players who have received most of the plaudits are defenders Darren Mullahy and county senior star Diarmuid Blake, and their captain readily acknowledges their performances.

"The two lads have been outstanding, no doubt about it. And we would not be in the final without them. However, this is a real team effort and everyone has really put their shoulder to the wheel. That makes all the difference. You have guys who are subs bursting a gut to get on and everyone in the club has done their bit to try to get us back to winning ways."

Milltown were last in a final in 1987 and they have not won the championship since 1981. Their opponents have collected the Frank Fox twice in the last decade. Does that lack of success in the past 20 years play on his mind?

"We know Killererin will be extremely difficult to beat and that we'll have our work cut out to do so. They won championships in 1999 and 2004 and we have the height of respect for them. They have some wonderful players all over the field, we know that, so we'll have to play to the absolute top of our form to have a chance of winning.

"That said, we are in the final now and we'll give it our absolute best shot. If we leave everything we have on the field in Pearse Stadium on Sunday, we can do no more than that. Obviously it would be fantastic to win a senior county championship with your club, but unless we produce the goods on the big day, that's not going to happen for us. I don't know who is going to win the county final on Sunday, but I do know that we are going out to do the absolute best we can to try to get the county cup back down to Milltown.

" What more can we do?"

[GaillimhIarthair]

Killererin tipped to end Milltown's dream
Frank Kearney

Always the highlight of the footballing calendar, the Tommy Varden Galway Senior Football Championship, has thrown up an unusual pairing for this year's final.

Milltown will bid to end several barren decades when they face a fancied Killererin side on Sunday at Pearse Stadium, Salthill (3.15pm).

Milltown have not won a Galway Senior Football Championship since 1981. Often they have promised much, but failed to deliver. Now the club hopefuls are quietly confident that this current group will put an end to years of frustration.

Their record against Killererin is promising, and if previous encounters can be repeated, then spectators will be in for a highly entertaining clash.

Only once have these sides met in a Galway final and that was in 1978 in a game that went to a replay, but in 2004 Milltown gave Killererin a real shock in the championship quarter-final. Milltown struck a brace of goals in the opening half when playing into the breeze but they failed to capitalise and instead allowed Killererin to strike three late points that brought the game to a replay, which Killererin won.

Killererin first came to the fore at senior level when they won their first championship in 1976. Billy Joyce was the power house of the Killererin team back then and two years later they defeated Milltown. However it took them another 11 years and a new generation of players before they annexed the Galway title again, defeating An Cheathru Rua by 1-12 to 1-8. Since then Killererin have appeared in three more finals. Having lost the 2001 final to Annaghdown and the 2003 final to Caltra, they tasted success in 2004 when they defeated Salthill/Knocknacarra by 1-10 to 0-10 with Nicky Joyce getting the crucial goal in the final 10 minutes.

Now Killererin are appearing in their fifth time in eight years, and with it a host of experience throughout the panel.

In this year's championship campaign Killererin got off to the worst possible start when they went down by one point to Annaghdown. Milltown did not have the best of starts either when Caherlistrane forced them into extra time before they carved out a one-point victory. Killererin were awarded a bye into the first round proper and they duly accounted for Dunmore McHales.

Milltown created the shock of the championship when they defeated Corofin and enjoyed a merited win over Annaghdown in the semi-finals. Killererin, however, were held to a draw by Salthill/Knocknacarra, but they proved too crafty for the city side in the replay.

All of the odds would favour Killererin in this final, but Milltown cannot be ruled out. Killererin boast two powerful attackers in cousins Padraig Joyce and Nicky Joyce. Michael Mitchell, Tommie Joyce, Tommy Wilson, and veteran goalkeeper Alan Keane carry a wealth of experience. However Killererin no longer depend on the Joyces and Wilsons to win games as they also have a quality bunch of young players who appear ready to make it at the highest level. Jonathan Keane is now providing leadership, while Shane Hughes, Ian Reddington, Tomas Hughes, Micheal Keane, Declan Kelly, Damien Flaherty, and young Tomas Fahy are all quality players who can prove match winners on their own.

This Killererin side could well become a strong force for many years even without Padraig Joyce. However it is the three-times All Star who remains the central figure. In the semi-final replay against NUIG he started at midfield and simply threw the ball around with ease to his team mates. Nicky Joyce also needs watching and is central to a Killererin victory.

However Milltown will travel to Pearse Stadium with confidence. They have already taken the scalps of Corofin and Caltra and can rightly feel confident of creating an upset for the third time this season. Ross McEvoy should be back to provide Milltown with a stronger defence. Powered by Diarmuid Blake and Darren Mullahy, they have some fine players. John Devane and Shane Waldron are a quality midfield pairing. They may not have ignited this central area, but they have proved effective. John Cullinane has been a huge find for Milltown and has been a tremendous asset to the team. Damien Brennan has proved to be a solid worker, while the versatile Sean Hehir has been a torment to most defences all season. Ciaran Murphy is a towering player, and when on song, he is a quality scorer. Murphy can be a potential match winner if he strikes form, but he has been unpredictable in the past.

Milltown could have the trump card in substitute Cathal Blake. Plagued by injury, he is fit for the last 15 minutes, and he could be the player to ignite Milltown.

Killererin, however, are the specialists at this level of competition. Milltown are the underdogs, but they have come through a tough season and have already overcome the likes of Corofin and Caltra. Don't rule out a draw.

•The game will be televised live on TG4.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Killererin 1-9
Milltown 0-10

Congrats to Killererin on their 5th county title. Hard luck to the scans. Killererin just had that bit of experience and cuteness to get over the line. I'm sure they would like to add a Connacht title as well. They haven't really performed too well outside Galway in the past.

[GaillimhIarthair]

Congratulations to Killererin on a well merited victory over the Scans on Sunday.  As GBB said, it was that little bit of extra cuteness that got them over the line first.  PJ was outstanding and was a well deserving man of the match. I'm sure there will be great celebrations in the Red Gap for the week.  Bridgets are next up in the Connacht Club on Sunday week in Tuam.

[GallBoss]

Congrats to Killererin the scans did well to get as far as they did but just lacked that forward scoring power and also that the level of cuteness that Padraig brings to the table. Plus I think any myth that Killererin are a one two or three man team is completely blown out of the water with the fact that Killererin have won three county titles in the last 10 years or so.

[MaroonAndWhite]

Great win for Killererin on Sunday.....not a classic by any means but given the weather in that flamin wind tunnell it wasnt likely to be. Form is temporary but class is permanent as the mighty PJ proved last Sunday  As class an act as a man as he is a footballer, i thought he spoke very well post match and gave due credit to Milltown. Some display from him, kicked some great points and was the playmaker in chief. The days of 10 points in All Ireland finals may be gone but he still has the top two inches that no one can match...........cute as a fox.
Milltown were the authors of their own downfall in many ways.........thought Martin Mac and Scan lost the heads completely on the sideline. Getting involved with Killererin players, Mac down behind the goal placing balls for Lofty to kick out and all that kind of shite  . If they concentrated on their own team as much, we could be looking at a different outcome now. Thought they played into Killererins hands for long periods putting Blake in fullback on PJ and then getting subsequently roasted in their own half back line. Mullahy had a massive game on Nicky.....wasnt far off MOTM as far as Im concerned.
Improvements needed though for Sunday week against Brigids.....wont win if they only play for one half again. If they could put two halves together, some team could get a fierce roasting. But who cares, Frank Fox is back at home for now. Enjoy these few days and get back training in next few days for Brigids. I think theres a hunger to get a Conacht title in the bag....it would be just reward for the most consistent team in Galway for the last decade

[Owenmoresider]

thought Martin Mac and Scan lost the heads completely on the sideline. Getting involved with Killererin players, Mac down behind the goal placing balls for Lofty to kick out and all that kind of shite  . If they concentrated on their own team as much, we could be looking at a different outcome now.

Whatever about Scan and co's antics on the sideline, Martin Mac was right cos Keane was really taking the piss with his time-wasting, to the point that the ref threw the ball up as a result of one such incident. Good to see he's useful at that, cos he's not much good for anything else.

Well done though, the experience and cuteness was the difference in the end. Brigid's will be tough to beat though, indeed the winner of that will probably win Connacht IMO.

[Duine Eile]

Good to see he's useful at that, cos he's not much good for anything else.

Is that statement directed at Alan Keane OMS? Coz if it is you obviously didn't see the point blank save he made in the first half, or the 45 he scored to level against Salthill and you obviously don't know that the fact we won the championship this year has a lot to do with the fact that Alan was training the team so I'd say he's fairly good at a few things.


Anyway, back to the game, what a weekend. Brilliant win even if the lads did take the foot off the pedal in the last quarter and cause some panic among the Killererin faithful!Padraic Joyce the best player on the field by a country mile.After all the talk about Sean Hehir he was held scoreless by Mike Mitchell who wasn't great on Sunday. truth be told.The Bomb had a great game and scored one fantastic point. Mid field was dominated by Big Tom and Micheal to a lesser extent. Ian Reddington and James Mannion did alright too,Damien Fla didn't look too comfortable in the corner, he's more used to no6 but did ok all the same. Nicky was well held by Mullahy but took his scores well, Johnny Keane and Shane Hughes played well with Tomas Fahy taking his goal brilliantly.It was an ok team performance but the can and will have to do better if they want to beat Brigid's. Scoring 2 points in the 2nd half won't win another game for them and the lads will have to improve. The hunger is there for a Connacht title, Frank Fox isn't going to be enough for the team this year, hopefully thay can go one step further than 2004.Killererin are far from a one man team anymore.

On a negative note the carry on of Martin McNamara was a disgrace, should have been banished from the line after striking Shane Hughes, great credit has to go to the lad that he didn't sink to his level and strike back because that's what they were hoping for.

[thebackbar]

well done to Killererin, definitely the better team on the day, Nicky was wasted for most of the first half until he was brought out the pitch, he started to do some real damage then. Killererin's midfield dominence was pretty impressive, after a lot of niggling between the teams in the second half, PJ gave a very modest speech ... inviting all the scans back to the red gap...

The crowd was pathetic, compared to the crowd that attended the hurling final last weekend, 5,000 v 15,000, would three times as many people have attended the match if it was on in tuam ?

Martin Mac was way over board, it wont be long before selectors will be banned from the sideline, even two on the milltown subs who were "warming up" got into spot of bother

Monivea pushed St James all the way in the minor, Im sure they will feel agrieved that they had to play the intermediate final the day before the minor A final.

[stephenite]

On a negative note the carry on of Martin McNamara was a disgrace, should have been banished from the line after striking Shane Hughes, great credit has to go to the lad that he didn't sink to his level and strike back because that's what they were hoping for.

Is he still acting the tr**p?

[Owenmoresider]

DE - Might have been harsh on Keane there alright, just was annoyed by the goings-on at every kickout. And that was actually a good save, one of the few chances Milltown got on goal IIRC. That said I was never really convinced by him when in goals for Galway (not least Ros '06), but either way he has one AI medal more in his collection than any of my countymen. Whether he can complement that with the club we'll soon see.

Martin Mac aside, the two Milltown subs didn't cover themselves in glory along the line, sparking off an unneccessary row, which Joyce smartly settled by setting up a point from the lineball when everyone else was shuffling. Surprised the second half wasn't far more niggly, as it certainly looked to be shaping up that way, and Milltown's corner-back was fortunate to last the hour also. Ref was poor enough too, and quite fond of the whistle, not unlike some of our own "top class" whistlers.

Crowd was poor enough too, much lower than the hurling. Is it just that hurling finals can attract the neutrals better, given that Portumna and Kinvara had a good trip to make to Salthill too? Regarding Tuam, is there any sign of it being done up, or is that already being carried out? You'd imagine the crowd would have been bigger if it were there.

DE/MnW - Incidentally, I recall ye mentioning the Sligo connections in Killererin who sponsor the club, and I do remember that being pointed out when ye met their local crew, Tourlestrane, back in 2004. It's a coincidence and little else, but on the five occasions Killererin won Galway, Tourlestrane won out here on four of them, and ye have already met them twice (78 and 04). They may get another reunion with the homefolk for the Connacht final yet.

[Duine Eile]

Strangely enough he's improved since he left the Galway panel.  Poxed lucky to have an AI medal alright but he's always been one of our main men.The Sligo connection with the club is set to be broken soon enough, Austin and Connie have The Gap up for sale and are heading back to Sligo I think. Ref was shocking, he didn't know what he ws doing, he'd blow for a foul a minute after it was committed. In one such incident Nicky was through on goal when he decided to blow his whistle. Some of his decisions were baffling. Padraic was rugby tackled to the ground in the first half but the MT back wasn't ticked or booked yet when Reddington did it later on he got a yellow card? Still raging at the carry on of Martin Mac though. Those Milltown lads on the line were looking for a reaction from Shane Hughes, plain and simple but they didn't get it and came out of it looking like a crowd of muppets.

MandW- did you hear of an incident in Tuam on Sunday night?