Gaelic Games

London fairytale turns to nightmare as Galway cut loose

Alan Mulholland’s side run out 19-point winners in Ruislip

Galway’s Paul Varley tries to dodge the challenge of London’s Stephen Curran during the Connacht SFC quarter-final at Ruislip. Photograph: Gerry McManus/Inpho
Malachy Clerkin at Ruislip
Sun May 25 2014 - 17:49

Galway 3-17 London 0-7

No fairytales this year for London, as Galway came over to Ruislip and administered an old-fashioned hammering with the minimum of fuss. Alan Mulholland’s side were professional and ruthless all through and though you can’t judge a lot on this performance, they were impressive at times as they moved through the gears. A 19-point win might not have done them a lot of good but it surely did them no harm.

This was over early. London's day started badly and got worse from there. Galway's ever-restless wing back Garreth Bradshaw surged forward from the throw-in and fed Shane Walsh for the first Galway point after just 18 seconds and immediately you felt it was going to be a long day for the home side.

It was. With their midfield duo Fiontán Ó Curraoin and Tom Flynn completely dominant, Galway's forwards were always able to rely on a steady flow of possession to show their wares. Corner forward Michael Martin made more hay than most, his goal in the third minute the first scoring act of a day where he helped himself to 1-3.

READ MORE

The goal couldn't have been simpler. Danny Cummins, who was impressive throughout, beat his marker Donnacha McCarthy to a Michael Lundy sideline ball, turned him and headed for goal. Former Kildare forward James Kavanagh appeared on his shoulder at pace and fed Martin who sidefooted home.

London were in disarray and from even that early stage, it was really only a matter of how far Galway would forge ahead. Martin continued to plunder at will, sticking over another two points inside the first five minutes alone. Cummins and Shane Walsh filled their boots as well and Galway had pulled 1-6 to 0-0 ahead by the 15th minute.

London offered very little in response. The best they could do came in the form of a couple of frees in first-half injury time from goalkeeper Adrian Faherty. It left them 1-9 to 0-2 behind at the break and after that it was respectability and no more that London were after.

Even that remote prospect disappeared soon after half-time when Shane Walsh banged home Galway’s second goal of the day. Walsh, who was the stand-out performer for the day, strode through onto a lovely Cummins offload and made no mistake. He ended the afternoon with 1-6 to his name and with it the Man of the Match award.

London did manage to eke out a little more as the half wore on and Galway's intensity levels dropped. Lorcan Mulvey came off the bench to score their first point from play in the 43rd minute and went on to add a couple of frees. But it was finger in the dyke stuff from a long way out.

Sligo await in the next round for Galway.

LONDON: A Faherty (0-3, all frees); P Butler, S Curran, D McCarthy; S Hannon, T Gaughan, M Walsh; M Gottsche, M Carroll; G Crowley, D Dunleavy, C O'Neill; E O'Neill, P Geraghty, J Feeney (0-1). Subs: L Mulvey (0-3, 0-2 free) for E O'Neill, half-time; B Collins for McCarthy, half-time; M Miskelly for C O'Neill, 47 mins; S Mulligan for Carroll, 61 mins; L Colfer for Feeney, 63 mins; B Mitchell for Walsh, 65 mins

GALWAY: M Breathnach; D O'Neill, F Hanley, J Duane; G Bradshaw, G O'Donnell, P Varley; F Ó Curraoin, T Flynn; M Lundy (0-1), S Walsh (1-6, 0-2 frees, 0-1 45), J Kavanagh; M Martin (1-3, 0-1 free), E Hoare (0-3), D Cummins (1-3). Subs: G Higgins for Ó Curraoin, 47 mins; D Comer for Lundy, 52 mins; A Varley (0-1) for Martin, 52 mins; J O'Brien for Flynn, 59 mins; C Mulryan for Bradshaw, 60 mins; E Concannon for Hoare, 67 mins

Referee: Fergal Kelly (Longford)