Injuries only worry as Galway deliver

Galway comfortably retained their Connacht title at Hyde Park yesterday but not before giving manager Mattie Murphy some injury worries.

Eugene Cloonan was unable to resume for the second half because of an ankle injury and worse was still to follow when Nigel Shaughnessy had to retire with a neck injury in the final minute.

Murphy admitted afterwards: "I am relieved it is over without too many injuries. Hopefully Eugene (Cloonan) and Nigel (Shaughnessy) will be okay."

As for the match the script was much the same as before; Roscommon kept the deficit down to respectable proportions close on half-time. Then the wheels came off and as Joe Cooney put it "we were allowed so much time on the ball".

Roscommon were eager to put early scores on the board to chip at their opponents' confidence. Galway reacted with a certain caution but with composure befitting their role as overwhelming favourites.

Roscommon manager Mike Conneely said the plans they drew up in training did not happen for them on the day. He had hoped that the ball would be sent in early to their big full forward Enda Gormley.

This particular plan did not come to fruition largely because Galway's new-look midfield pairing of Joe Cooney and Fergus Flynn worked suitably well for most of the time.

The Roscommon midfielders Micky Cunniffe and Colm Kelly were never prepared to spare themselves but they were forced back to help out in defence whereas Galway were able to play one up and one back.

Conneely would have like to seen Gormley fed with the sort of first half ball that was laid on for Joe Rabbitte. The Athenry man's return to the Galway colours, however, could have been highly impressive if only he hadn't lost so much possession after fetching well.

At least, Rabbitte will be glad to have scored a point on his return. The whole of the first quarter was played and Galway were still only three points to the good but the space they were creating looked ominous for Roscommon.

Tight Roscommon defensive work succeeded in keeping the score down in the first half. Goalkeeper Adrian Tully was very much on his toes to save spectacularly from Kevin Broderick and Ollie Canning. Tully also saved a certain goal when denying Galway substitute Justin Campbell with a tip over.

Rabbitte's early close shave with an overhead effort that barely went wide threatened to trigger the avalanche but when Kevin Broderick crashed home Galway's first goal just on the stroke of half-time the predicted wide margin of victory came into focus.

What about the continued one-sided nature of the fixture? "We're damned if we do and damned if we don't," said Murphy. "If we only win by seven of eight points we'll be told we're on the slide."

The second half was all one-way traffic and only a point by Brendan Boyle interrupted a procession of Galway scores as the champions stretched to a 2-19 to 0-6 advantage before the third quarter was complete.

Token relief for the supportive Roscommon followers in the 1,500 crowd came when Colm Kelly drove into the net from the penalty spot after Adrian Kelly was pulled down by Galway skipper Brian Feeney 23 minutes into the second half.