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Wednesday, May 22, 2002
GAA: Champions Galway hand out clear message to all
By: Ivan Neill
Galway 3-12, Roscommon 1-8
All-Ireland champions Galway wreaked havoc at Dr Hyde Park, Roscommon, on Sunday, with a second-half performance that must have sent shivers of apprehension down the spine of every Mayo person who witnessed the complete annihilation of the defending Connacht champions.
On Sunday week next O'Mahony's heroes travel to McHale Park, Castlebar, for a semi-final battle with Mayo and on Sunday's performance it would appear the homeside face a formidable task.
Galway lined out with fourteen of the side who started against Meath in the All-Ireland final last September and during the second 35 minutes the All-Ireland 15th player - Tommy Joyce - made his appearance.
It may have taken Galway over 30 minutes to find their rhythm but once they did, following a goal from a penalty by Derek Savage in time added on in the first half, Roscommon had to concede total superiority to their visitors in the second half.
Roscommon were forced to go through a scoreless period between the 25th and 45th minutes, while Galway helped themselves to a further five points to increase the advantage to 1-9 to 0-5.
Savage's penalty kick had sent the Roscommon 'keeper diving in the wrong direction to increase Galway's interval advantage to 1-6 to 0-5.
John Tobin's Roscommon team led the visitors for most of the opening thirty minutes and every Roscommon supporter in the 17,000 attendance had every reason to feel confident that a shock win over Galway for a second year in succession was possible.
The much-feared Galway attack had to rely on frees by Padraic Joyce to keep them in touch with the Connacht champions, while at the other end the Roscommon scoring department, particularly Nigel Dineen, Gerry Lohan, Stephen Lohan and attacking-defender Paul Noone had the Galway defence strugging for survival.
Gerry Lohan, Seamus O'Neill and Paul Noone hammered over three great points. The darting runs by midfielders Seamus O'Neill and Fergal O'Donnell and the over-lapping by Paul Noone caused many anxious moments in the Galway defence, but they managed to stay afloat.
Noone, in particular, by his deep runs out of his defence to the other end of the field, was a problem the Galway defence found difficult to come to terms with.
Three converted frees by Padraig Joyce brought the Tribesmen level for the first time after twenty-five minutes.
Twice more Roscommon edged ahead with scores by Nigel Dineen, but Galway again managed to draw level before Derek Savage put the tribesmen ahead for the first time two minutes into stoppage time.
Paul Noone's goal midway through the second half renewed Roscommon hopes but they failed to build on that score.
By then Alan Kerins had been introduced to the Galway attack and he was only on the field a few minutes when he was judged to have scored a goal when Roscommon goalkeeper Derek Thompson was, according to the umpires, alleged to have allowed the ball cross the goal line.
Roscommon defenders claimed it wasn't a goal but the referee allowed the score to stand.
Television play-back of the incident revealed the ball had not crossed the line.
From then on it was plain sailing for the
All-Ireland champions.
Ciaran Fitzgerald and Paul Clancy tacked on points before Galway's dual star Kerins had his second goal for Galway.
Although they may have surrendered their provincial title Roscommon will enter the All-Ireland title race through the qualifiers just as Galway did so successfully last year.Scorers:
Galway: Alan Kerins 2-0, Padraic Joyce (0-6,0-5f), Derek Savage 1-1 (1-0 penalty) Joe Bergin, Paul Clancy, Michael Donnellan ('45') Ciaran Fitzgerald and Sean de Paor 0-1 each.
Roscommon: Paul Noone 1-1, Frankie Dolan 0-3 each, Nigel Dineen 0-2 Seamus O'Neill and Gerry Lohan 0-1 each.
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