There are always little signs. If you go back to one of the greatest GAA occurrences ever seen 33 years ago this week – Kevin Foley’s goal for Meath in the fourth game against Dublin – it’s hardly coincidence that they spent two hours rehearsing the move on a soccer pitch in Scotland seven days beforehand. Prior to going on an almighty pi** up!
There is no suggestion whatever that Matthew Tierney or Galway abided by Nunca et bibendum before taking on the Dubs, but what can be asserted is that Galway’s first score came straight from the training ground.
Employing what is now known as bunch and break strategy. That is to say, the maroon and white’s attackers all bunched in front of the Railway End before Tierney broke out, claimed an impressive mark and duly split the posts.
Despite the mercurial Shane Walsh drawing gasps from the crowd with some mesmeric scores, John Small, Brian Fenton, Ciaran Kilkenny and Cormac Costello equally efficient, the Dubs led by 0-11 to 0-07 at the break.
That said, Padraic Joyce’s side got the start to the second half they required when notching the first two scores of the second half. But, with them having lost Sean Kelly and the aforementioned Walsh through injury, you wouldn’t have given them much hope of completing the overhaul.
If it wasn’t for the fact that there are certain factors beyond anybody’s control. The passage of Father Time being one of them. Because when generational galacticos like Cluxton, Fitzsimons, Fenton, Kilkenny, McCarthy and O’Callaghan went to the well one more time, the bucket came up dry.
Thus, akin to the way Down used to be when they arrived on the scene with a classy team, Galway are an outfit who thrive on momentum, and, with the scent of victory tantilising their nostrils, Paul Conroy, Johnny Heaney, Cillian McDaid (three), Dylan McHugh, Cein Darcy and Tommo Culhane produced the scores which oozed the finesse that all the great Galway teams have.
This lot are well down that road already and they may not be finished yet.
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