News

Galway face Cork in the All-Ireland Under 21 Football Final after victory over Kildare

November 7, 2018

 Shane Walsh opened the scoring with a point for the winners from play after one minute but Daniel Flynn had the side’s level on six minutes. The first of four goals arrived four minutes after a good Galway build up found Tomas Flynn shot low to beat Mark Donnellan but two minutes later Kildare also raised a green flag when Flynn jinxed his way around the Galway defence to beat keeper James Healy to level the game and when Niall Kelly pointed in the 17thminute Kildare were ahead for the first time in the game. The lead was short lived as points from Walsh, Damien Comer and Ian Burke saw the winners lead by 1-4 to 1-2 with seven minutes to go to the break.

Sean Moran stretched the lead to three and with a minute to the break Fionn Dowling pulled one back for the Lilywhites but Moran had the final score to give Galway a 1-6 to 1-3 half time lead.

Kildare opened the second half scoring with a point from Padraig Fogarty pointed with Walsh hit two points for the Tribesmen to make it 1-8 to 1-4, Paul Cribbin reduced the lead to three but the game turned Galway’s way when Ian Burke crossed the ball in front of the Kildare goal for Moran to hit it home to give his side a 2-8 to 1-5 lead. With ten minutes to go Sean Hurley give Kildare a lifeline when he fisted a goal to make it a three point ball game but Walsh hit back with a Galway point and when Cathal Mulryan pointed with five minutes to go Galway were in their second All-Ireland in two years having beaten Cavan in the 2011 decide. Sean Moran was the Cadburys ‘Man of the Match’

Galway team was: Thomas Healy, Gearoid Canavan, James Shaughnessy, David Cunnane, Mark Loughnane, Daithi Burke, Paul Varley, Damien Comer (0-1), Fiontan O’Curraoin, Cathal Mulryan (0-1), Sean Moran (1-2), Thomas Flynn (1-0), Shane Walsh(0-5), Adrian Varley, Ian Burke( 0-1)

Subs: C Rabbitte for D Burke, P Ezergailis for D Cunnane, L Silke for G Canavan. E Cummins for Comer