Galway v Sligo - Connact SFC semi final 27th June

[myball22]

Maybe Connacht football is in bigger trouble than you realise 
Galway have flattered to deceive over the last 5 years and have capitulated far too easily in some cases.
It would be heartening to see a bit of hunger the next day and some belief that they can do something this year.

[DJGaliv]

I think that's being a bit unfair to Sligo, saying Connacht football is in big trouble just as they happen to beat Mayo.
But being honest, I don't see the winners of Sam coming from this province.
Regarding the panel changes, Barry Cullinane has been given numerous chances and I don't think that he can have too many complaints at being dropped

[Farrandeelin]

Alot of the GALWAY confidence is based beacuse the game is in Salthill. Interesting, from a Sligo viewpoint its hard to respect that point. Its lazy naive and shows a lack of knowledge of us.

We are delighted the game is in Salthill and not Tuam, and we actually prefer it to Markievicz as its wider. We played better in Croke Park than last sat, for reasons we want more space.

But its just thought that a wider pitch will suit Galway as much as it will suit ye. After a few shaky years, we have started to play very well when in Salthill.
Reffering your posts above, and trying not to be patronising in any way, if Galway play to their full ability they will win this. Not that there is a whole lot between the teams, I just feel Galway have that bit more at their best. Remember last year we were good enough to come out of Markevic with a 4 point win while playing awful.

Last year's Connacht final a notable exception when ye only started to play with 10 minutes to go.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Alot of the GALWAY confidence is based beacuse the game is in Salthill. Interesting, from a Sligo viewpoint its hard to respect that point. Its lazy naive and shows a lack of knowledge of us.

We are delighted the game is in Salthill and not Tuam, and we actually prefer it to Markievicz as its wider. We played better in Croke Park than last sat, for reasons we want more space.

But its just thought that a wider pitch will suit Galway as much as it will suit ye. After a few shaky years, we have started to play very well when in Salthill.
Reffering your posts above, and trying not to be patronising in any way, if Galway play to their full ability they will win this. Not that there is a whole lot between the teams, I just feel Galway have that bit more at their best. Remember last year we were good enough to come out of Markevic with a 4 point win while playing awful.

Last year's Connacht final a notable exception when ye only started to play with 10 minutes to go.

Sure it often only takes 10 good minutes to beat Mayo.

[Barney]

I believe Galway will win this game and that we will see a big performance from them. Connacht is tied up nicely for Big Joe and a reasonable draw in the quarter finals if they get there could tie them up nicely for what would be seen as a successful championship. They are my dark horses to break through the Kerry/Tyrone/Cork axis and reach a Final - but only if Meehan is fit.

Where will a Galway/Ros Final be played? Is it the turn of the Hyde?

I don't see why Markevicz can't hold a Connacht Final now. 20,000 would look sufficient capacity although a novel Sligo/Ros pairing is likely to bring a huge crowd. 

[mckieran]

I saw that players were dropped from the Galway panel last week. What exactly is the championship panel now?

[Zapatista]

I believe Galway will win this game and that we will see a big performance from them. Connacht is tied up nicely for Big Joe and a reasonable draw in the quarter finals if they get there could tie them up nicely for what would be seen as a successful championship. They are my dark horses to break through the Kerry/Tyrone/Cork axis and reach a Final - but only if Meehan is fit.

Where will a Galway/Ros Final be played? Is it the turn of the Hyde?

I don't see why Markevicz can't hold a Connacht Final now. 20,000 would look sufficient capacity although a novel Sligo/Ros pairing is likely to bring a huge crowd.

According to Joe you need two successfull championships to be considered any good

[GalwayBayBoy]

They are my dark horses to break through the Kerry/Tyrone/Cork axis and reach a Final - but only if Meehan is fit.

I cannot see us beating any of those teams to be honest. Maybe Tyrone on a given day but I'd even doubt that.

[ross4life]

SLIGONIAN has been surprising very quite on this thread of late.. maybe he's on one of those SPA breaks getting a facial and massage package in preparation for this weekends big game 

[Farrandeelin]

SLIGONIAN has been surprising very quite on this thread of late.. maybe he's on one of those SPA breaks getting a facial and massage package in preparation for this weekends big game 

Ah, it's only Mayo threads he posts on, the county he near despises.

[seafoid]

30 years of pain has nothing on Sligo football.

[GaillimhIarthair]

Galway have it all to do to stop Sligo

By Ray Silke

Galway are fancied by most of the national media and pundits to defeat Sligo this Sunday in Pearse Stadium (2pm) and go on and win the Connacht title. However, it is not a sure bet, as Sligo will be coming to Galway full of confidence and belief, expecting victory.

Momentum is most definitely with Sligo. They are on the back of a fine run of outings including the division three final over Antrim and their impressive win over Mayo in the Connacht Championship.

They have been promoted for the past two seasons from division four up to division two and that incremental progress and winning habit will leave them with a well of self-belief when the game gets tight next Sunday.

Their team has evolved fantastically under the guidance of Kevin Walsh and is a better side now than the one that went out narrowly to Liam Sammon's team in last year's championship.

Tony Taylor and Stephen Gilmartin have blended into a solid midfield partnership and their battle with Joe Bergin and Paul Doherty will be critical.

Sligo's corner backs Charlie Harrison and Ross Donovan are terrific players and both Johnny Davey and Keenan Cawley really caught the eye against Mayo with their ability to win breaking ball and their sallies up the field. They need to be pegged back.

Up front David Kelly is a marvellous corner forward and Eamonn O'Hara and Alan Costello work well in the half-forward line - indeed O'Hara is often given a licence to roam and if he could be stopped in his tracks a few times, it would be a big dent to the Yeats men's ambitions.

Galway will need to be extremely disciplined at the back too as Mark Brehony is a quality freetaker who is not afraid of pressure kicks.

The Galway team was not announced at the time of going to print, but it is expected to be along very similar lines to their two recent challenges against Offaly and Louth and the trial game held in Pearse Stadium last Sunday.

Alan Burke is expected to be given the onerous task of man-marking Kelly, while Kieran Fitzgerald will pick up the other corner forward with Finian Hanley in the number three jersey. Kevin Walsh is likely though to move Kelly into the edge of the square too at some stage in the game to see if his lightning pace could unsettle Finian.

The Galway forward division is set to include Padraic Joyce, Sean Armstrong and Gary Sice. The other positions will be taken up by a combination of players such as Fiachra Breathnach, Owen Concannon, Matt Clancy, Cormac Bane or Nicky Joyce, if he is available to play. The Killererin man could not train last Sunday and there are rumours in the county that he has suffered a knee injury that may keep him out of action.

The game has probably come a week too early for Michael Meehan, although he may be in a position to come in off the bench if required. In an ideal world that scenario should be avoided as it would be better to get some game time under his belt before going straight back into inter-county action. However if the fat is in the fire going into the third quarter, Kernan may have to throw Meehan into the frame and see if he could pick up where he left off in the league.

One advantage that Galway have is that the entire panel and management team will know they face a huge battle of will and skill if they are to advance to meet Roscommon in the Connacht final. Sligo liked the taste of their provincial success in 2007 and they want more of that feeling.

Galway will have to increase the tempo and work-rate enormously from what they showed in their first game against New York which they won 2-13 to 0-12.

The intervening eight weeks should have brought about a vast improvement from that performance and Kernan will be hopeful the hard work in Loughgeorge will bear fruit.

It is a very difficult game to call. Don't expect much between these sides at the finish.

Galway will need Padraic Joyce to do the business for them once again and I would not expect Walsh to put Noel McGuire, who was given a torrid time by Alan Freeman, marking Joyce. Either Harrison or Donovan may pick him up.

Unless Joyce, Armstrong and Meehan, if he can play, produce the scores for Galway, they will be in trouble.

Unless Galway can really produce a really top-class performance, then a Sligo win is a distinct possibility.

[Mano]

Galway team has been named. No Nicky Joyce or Michael Meehan. Galway will be very reliant on P Joyce and Armstrong for scores. Doubt there will be any change to the Sligo lineout injuries permitting.

1 Adrian Faherty

2 Kieran Fitzgerald

3 Finian Hanley

4 Alan Burke

5 Garrett Bradshaw

6 Diarmuid Blake

7 Garry ODonnell

8 Paul Conroy

9 Niall Coleman

10 Garry Sice

11 Sean Armstrong

12 Joe Bergin (Captain)

13 Owen Concannon

14 Padriac Joyce

15 Matthew Clancy

Subs 16 Eoin Conghaile, 17 Donal ONeill, 18 David Reilly, 19 Conor Healy, 20 Fiachra Breathnach, 21 Darren Mullahy, 22 Declan Meehan, 23 Michael Meehan, 24 Danny Cummins, 25 Thomas Fahy, 26 Cormac Bane, 27 Cillin de Paor, 28 Michael Martin, 29 Damien Burke, 30 Nicky Joyce   

[mckieran]

God, that Galway team doesnt look great. Alan Burke is quick but I'm still not convinced he's at his best in the corner. Gary O'Donnell at number 7 is a strange call; I have never seen him play that well for Galway, yet he gets chance after chance.

Big problem at midfield; Both Conroy & Coleman are a bit on the light side to be playing midfield. Bergin will have to help out there. Maybe he will start there? But if there is a problem at midfield, they have nobody on that bench to come on. Conor Healy is the only option and he is not up to midfield at inter county level (He may be an option in the half back line). It just makes the dropping of Cullinane all the more strange - He might not be good enough to start but there should be a place for him on that bench.

Forwards look handy enough; sice has been good at number 10 in the league matches he played. Concannon also deserves a shot based on league form. Matt Clancy may be a little lucky to be on from the start though.

That bench looks very impressive; M. Meehan, N. Joyce, C. Bane, D. Burke, T. Fahy are all players that could make an impact. I thought M. Martin had been droped from the panel along with Cullinane & Coyne?

[moysider]

How is Kernan going to set this team out?