Champions overcome Galway's plucky challenge

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISIONS ONE & TWO: Cork 0-16 Galway 0-13:THIS WAS a collision of two teams operating on different planes. The All-Ireland champions came to Salthill in cruise control and by half-time they looked a little taken aback by the intensity and effrontery of the home team, who are enduring an extremely harsh league campaign.

In the end, Cork won without undue fuss and reinforced the fact that Conor Counihan has assembled a formidably strong and athletic squad.

Of the nine points the champions kicked in the second half, four were contributions from substitutes James Fitzpatrick, Kevin O’Driscoll and Seán Kiely – whose lively running stretched what was a very honest Galway defensive effort in the crucial period of the game.

Cork have reached that stage in their evolution where they can churn out bread and butter wins from games like these, although a 70th-minute shot on goal from Matthew Clancy, punched clear by Ken O’Halloran, might have given the home team a draw which would have been deserved on valour alone. But against a proven team, nothing comes easy.

“We would be happy that we rallied and put up a few scores,” said Counihan afterwards.

“Football is all about travelling and digging out a result. But we got fellas together at half-time and said it wasn’t good enough and we needed to up the ante. And fortunately fellas showed a bit of maturity and patience which helped. It is all about getting hold of possession and we didn’t do that in the first half.

“The next week or two will tell a lot. We are on course for the next game and nothing further. Maybe some people were looking ahead from today and maybe that was part of our problem. The reality is that it is one game at a time. I am happy we got a result but by God, I am unhappy with a lot of things.”

But the boss didn’t seem that unhappy. This was a low-key match, even for the league. Cork came with their small band of loyal followers to give a bit of voice to a shockingly small Galway crowd. The day was sunny and at times, the loudest shouts came from the players on the field.

Nonetheless, the Galway men approached this game as they might a high July championship assignment and it was one of their All-Ireland decorated, Matthew Clancy, who set the tone with a lung-busting opening 20 minutes which helped to drag Galway out of a 0-5 to 0-1 deficit and establish a two-point lead at the interval.

The opening quarter was precarious for Galway as Daniel Goulding whipped over two quick points and Fiachra Lynch bearing down on goal, drawing a fine save from Adrian Flaherty.

Had Cork goaled in the first 10 minutes, Galway’s confidence may have plummeted. Instead, they gave their best performance of the year. The reconfigured team – Finian Hanley at midfield, Paul Conroy at full forward – was an adventurous policy to implement against a team with Cork’s fire power.

But Galway are at the stage where they need to reinvent themselves and this was encouraging.

Conroy fired two classy points and had the bulk to trouble Michael Shields at times. Cormac Bane led the scorers, Owen Concannon looks to have the head for centre-half forward and Cathal Kenny, the only forward not to score, hurled himself into Cork jerseys all afternoon.

Hanley looked more comfortable roving around the middle as the game warmed up and added a fine point in the second half. In defence, Garry O’Donnell and Gary Sice were outstanding and Johnny Duane and Colin Forde played their second full match of the weekend: they did well to be still standing at the whistle.

As expected, Cork increased the pressure by degrees, with Paudie Kissane and Noel O’Leary storming forward from the rear guard and marksmen like Patrick Kelly, Goulding, and Goold looping behind the runners and picking off points as the Galway men scrambled back.

They racked up five points on the run in a 12-minute spell in the second half and played smart football after that. While Goulding struck two outstanding points from play, his free-taking was not up to his usual standard. But for that fact – and the late withdrawal of Donnacha O’Connor – Cork’s final score might have been higher.

Galway kept pressing but tiredness had become a factor. Joe Bergin, who made his presence known at midfield, was moved in to full forward but his team-mates couldn’t deliver the vital ball often enough.

The result pushes Galway precariously close to Division Two but they looked like a team that suddenly remembered how to play football again. And they can look forward to a couple of more decent games, with Kerry and Dublin to come.

There ain’t know soft touches at the top.

CORK:K O'Halloran; R Carey, M Shields, E Cadogan; N O'Leary, D O'Sullivan, P Kissane; A O'Connor (0-1), N Murphy; F Goold (0-2), P Kelly (0-1 free), P O'Neill; D Goulding (0-7, three frees), C O'Neill, F Lynch. Subs: D Goold (0-1) for C O'Neill (15 mins inj), J Fitzpatrick (0-1) for N Murphy (ht, S Kiely (0-2) for D O'Sullivan (ht), K O'Driscoll (0-1) for P O'Neill (62 mins), C O'Driscoll for P Kelly (69 mins).

GALWAY:A Faherty (0-1, a 45); A Burke, C Forde, J Duane; G O'Donnell, G Higgins, G Sice; J Bergin, F Hanley (0-1); F Breathnach (0-1), O Concannon (0-1 free), C Kenny; C Bane (0-5, two frees), P Conroy (0-2), M Clancy (0-2). Subs: J Ryan for P Conroy (53 mins), D Blake for F Breathnach (62 mins).

Referee:E Kinsella (Laois).