FBD League 2009

[galwayman]

Was in Tuam today.Very lively and enjoyable game of football. To be honest we were lucky to bring the game to extra time. Once it went to extra time Galway were by far the better team though and finished much the stronger of the 2 sides.
Mike Meehan had a stormer and gave a torrid time to a series of different Ros markers. Barry Cullinane also had a fantastic game. I reckon the number of clean catches he made at midfield was in double figures.He lorded it especially after half time. Also kicked a good point into the bargain. Of  the newcomers - O'Donnell didn't look up to it while Coady hardly got a touch of the ball.Johnny Ryan was also quiet. David Reilly at corner back did very well though (he was in for Deccie Meehan who didn't start).
Mullaghy had an excellent game and kicked 2 or 3 points from play from wing back.Nicky joyce had a mixed game while Bane also did very well. I'd say the game will stand to us for next Sunday and it may be a blessing that the game went to extra time

[GalwayBayBoy]

Would be a huge fillup for Galway if Meehan can bring his Kerry form from last year into this year. To be fair he's always been pretty good but he has the ability to kick on to an even higher level a la Padraig Joyce.

[GalwayBayBoy]

FBD FL: Galway edge out Ross in extra time
25 January 2009

Extra time was needed before Galway could claim the Connacht FBD FL crown with a 2-15 to 1-14 win over Roscommon at Tuam Stadium.

A big crowd saw Galway take control in the first half as goals from the in form Michael Meehan and Jonathan Ryan had Liam Sammon's men in a 2-4 to 0-7 interval lead.

Roscommon were looking good in attack but loose in defence before they made a noticeable second half improvement.

Just four points separated the sides before Senan Kilbride's goal narrowed the gap to the minimum for Roscommon and when the same player pointed at the death, two halves of ten minutes extra time were required.

However, those additional 20 minutes belonged to the Tribesmen who turned their midfield domination into a flurry of scores as they out pointed the Rossies by six points to two.

[Rossfan]

Good spirited display by our lads and a big Ros support as could be expected.
We got badly punished twice for giving the ball away - 2 goals !!!- and a few misses after half time fecked us up.
Still we came from behind 3 times to force extra time but we had shot our bolt by then.
Coming from where we had been I'd settle for bringing Galway to extra time - also the defeat will keep the more excitable of our support down to earth.
Pride and self respect firmly restored -- now to build on it for the rest of 2009.

[Ryano]

Sounded like a very good game of football. Good result for the Rossies against a nearly full strength Galway team. Cullinane appeared to be best player on field (according to Willie).

Think he caught something like 10 kickouts. Scored a point as well. Won't see too many of those.

He is a bloody huge man. Paul O'Connell is about the same build and height as him. Seamie O'Neill is 6'2 and built like a brick sh1t house but Cullinane was a good 2 or 3 inches over him and just as broad. He absolutely creamed us at midfield. It did not help that we kept landing kickouts on top of him though and O'Neill is just back from his honeymoon so he probably is not fully fit. Mind you I bet he got plenty of exercise

Good performance from Ros. Plenty of fight and self belief there compared to last year. It's amazing what a good manager can do with basically the same panel of players.

Just ran out of steam in extra time and Galways experience and wiser heads like the two Joyces and Meehan helped them run out comfortable winners in the end. Meehan had an excellent game and if he carries that sort of form into the league and championship he will do a lot of damage.

As for Ros I'm looking forward to the national league and championship beyond. We might not be good enough this year to win Connaught but I think we will give it a bloody good rattle.

[RedandGreenSniper]

Don't be completely surprised if Mayo go into the Connacht championship as third favourites

[GalwayBayBoy]

A crowd of over 3,000 watched Galway secure the FBD League title at Tuam Stadium but it took them 80 minutes to do so against a dogged Roscommon sides.

The Connacht rivals could not be separated over the hour, with Roscommon sending the game to extra-time (at 2-09 to 1-12) with a late Senan Kilbride point.

But Liam Sammon's Tribesmen took control in the additional periods - Barry Cullinane hoovered up the ball around midfield and a run of six points saw the victors pull clear.

Roscommon, who were 2-04 to 0-07 behind at half-time in normal time, leaked goals to Jonathan Ryan and Michael Meehan but a Kilbride goal inspired their second-half push.

The opening stages were particularly tight. Karol Mannion put the Rossies into a second-minute lead but Darren Mullahy and Padraic Joyce edged Galway ahead in the seventh minute.

Points followed from Seanie McDermott, who was Roscommon's best player throughout, and Kilbride and then Galway captain Nicky Joyce lobbed over from close range to tie up the game at 0-03 apiece.

In the 14th minute, Galway broke through for their first goal. It came from a turnover of possession as a wayward kick from Mannion got the hosts within range and after a swift series of passes, Ryan bulged the net.

A Cormac Bane point and Meehan's goal, on the half-hour mark, pushed Galway onto 2-04 but the Rossies, who were missing a number of last year's panel, closed the half well with points from Kilbride, McDermott and Fintan Cregg.

Fergal O'Donnell's side managed to close the gap to a point but by the midpoint of the second half, Galway were five points to the good (2-08 to 0-09) thanks to efforts from Meehan (0-02), Joe Bergin and Mullahy.

However, Roscommon did not drop their heads and battled right to the finish as Kilbride's late haul of 1-01 set up two 10-minute periods of extra-time.

Nonetheless, Galway really held the advantage in extra-time as Bane, Meehan (0-02) and Mullahy rifled over a string of points, moving Sammon's charges 2-13 to 1-12 ahead by half-time in extra-time.

Cullinane and Padraic Joyce added further scores in the second period before Roscommon nabbed the game's final two points, but they needed goals at this stage and just minutes later Nicky Joyce was presented with the Paddy Francis Dwyer Cup by outgoing Connacht Council President Lorcan O'Cuinn.

Galway - P Doherty; N Coyne, F Hanley, D Reilly; G O'Donnell, D Blake, D Mullahy (0-3); B Cullinane (0-1), J Bergin (0-1); C Bane (0-2), P Joyce (0-3), N Joyce (0-1); J Ryan (1-0), M Meehan (1-4), M Coady. Subs: F Breathnach for Coady, S Armstrong for Ryan, M Lydon for Breathnach.

Roscommon - G Claffey; P O'Connor, P Gleeson (0-1), P Duignan; S Purcell, D Casey, J Nolan; K Mannion (0-2), S O'Neill; G Cox, D Keenehan (0-1), S McDermott (0-5); R Gaynor, S Kilbride (1-5), F Cregg. Subs: K Higgins for O'Connor, D Connellan for Gaynor, K Waldron for Cox (yellow), D Flynn for Duignan, P Garvey for O'Neill, P Kelly for Purcell.

[GaillimhIarthair]

That was a very enjoyable and seriously competitive game in Tuam yesterday.  Looks like Fergal O'Donnell is putting the Rossies back on the right track.  They showed admirable battling qualities to keep coming back at Galway and bring the game to extra time but seemed to run out of steam in extra time.  From a Galway perspective its encouraging to see the form of Barry Cullinane continue on an upward curve.  He totally dominated the middle third yesterday as he did the previous friday week vs GMIT and Paul Conroy.  Hopefully he will carry this form through the league and into this years championship as this area has been our achilles heel over the past few years since the retirement of Kevin Wash.   

[mouview]

Was in Tuam today.Very lively and enjoyable game of football. To be honest we were lucky to bring the game to extra time. Once it went to extra time Galway were by far the better team though and finished much the stronger of the 2 sides.
Mike Meehan had a stormer and gave a torrid time to a series of different Ros markers. Barry Cullinane also had a fantastic game. I reckon the number of clean catches he made at midfield was in double figures.He lorded it especially after half time. Also kicked a good point into the bargain. Of  the newcomers - O'Donnell didn't look up to it while Coady hardly got a touch of the ball.Johnny Ryan was also quiet. David Reilly at corner back did very well though (he was in for Deccie Meehan who didn't start).
Mullaghy had an excellent game and kicked 2 or 3 points from play from wing back.Nicky joyce had a mixed game while Bane also did very well. I'd say the game will stand to us for next Sunday and it may be a blessing that the game went to extra time

No. Mullahy had an excellent game going forward. Defensively he was very exposed I thought. He is a bit like Ger Farragher for the hurlers - the nearer the championship gets, the further away from the team he seems to be unfortunately. Big Barry did what I've always said he does / should do - stand in midfield, jump, catch, off-load. This he did very well by and large. Nicky did quite well, though he needs to be aware more of who's around him. PJ strolled through the game as usual. Bane also was quite good, though whether he will ever win the 40 / 60 ball remains to be seen. Of the FF line, Coady was poor, Ryan middlin', MM class as usual, took the goal, especially the fielding bit, superbly. Diarmuid was so-so, Hanley got plenty of it also I thought. Gary O'Donnell not good enough. On the plus side, Breathnach was dreadful as usual when he came on and was subbed again later - hopefully Sammon will finally see that the poor lad just isn't up to it.

[rocco]

barry cullinane was excellent yesterday,superb fielding but most of the time his fielding went unchallenged,remember seamie oneill was just back from his honeymoon 2 weeks in the sun.... a fit seamie can field ball with the best of them. fergie had one eye on the nfl when he played seamie... to bring on his fitness levels

[spectator]

Deserved win for The Tribesmen yesterday, Cullinane's technique and timing for the kick-outs were superb, but great to see The Rossies playing with a lot of pride in  the jersey again. We'll come up short as regards Connacht this year, but no one will get anything easy from us, which gladdens the hearts of most of us after the capitulations of the past few years.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Barely able to contain himself an ecstatic Nicky Joyce collects the Paddy Francis Dwyer Cup yesterday.

[Tatler Jack]

Barely able to contain himself an ecstatic Nicky Joyce collects the Paddy Francis Dwyer Cup yesterday.

Are ye expecting big crowds tonight in Eyre Square GBB. Would expect at least 20,000. Should be a great night - assume the Saw Doctors will be there