Joyces see off Down

Galway 3-11 Down 1-11:Two goals in less than 60 seconds from the Joyce cousins, Pádraic and Nicky, secured Galway's fifth win on the trot against relegated Down at Tuam Stadium yesterday.

The victory means that Galway and Mayo will have a dress rehearsal for their May 20th Connacht championship meeting when they meet at Croke Park in the league semi-finals next Sunday.

For a long time it seemed Ross Carr's men were finally going to chalk up their first win, and just a point separated the sides going into the final quarter. But then Galway hit the front when the Joyces found the net to kill off the brave Down challenge.

There was no way back for Down after that and a missed penalty from Benny Coulter in the final minute aptly summed up their disappointing campaign.

It was Coulter who provided the opening half's defining moment when a speculative long shot from the right by midfielder Colin McCrickard was fisted to the net by Coulter. That gave Down a 1-5 to 0-6 interval lead.

Substitute Daniel Hughes kicked the first of four pointed frees two minutes after the restart to put a goal between the sides but Micheál Meehan eased the worries of the home followers when he crashed a 40th-minute penalty into the top corner.

GALWAY: P Doherty; K Fitzgerald, F Hanley, D Burke; N Coyne, D Meehan, M Comer; J Bergin (0-1), P Geraghty; A Burke, J Fallon (0-1), N Joyce (1-2); M Meehan (1-1, 1-0 penalty), P Joyce (1-4, 0-4 frees), C Bane (0-1). Subs: D Blake (0-1) for Burke (42 mins), B Cullinane for Geraghty (61 mins), G Sice for Comer (61 mins), C King for Doherty (69 mins).

DOWN: B Connell; D McCartan, M Cole, D Cunningham; J Clarke (0-1), D Rooney, E Henry; D Gordan, C McCrickard; R Sexton (0-1), B McGourty, S Kearney; A Burns, P Downey (0-2), B Coulter (1-1, 0-1 45). Subs: D Hughes (0-4, frees) for Burns (30 mins), R Murtagh (0-1) for McGourty (49 mins), J McGovern (0-1) for Cunningham (69 mins), A Carr for McCrickard (65 mins), J Boyle for Kearney (65 mins).

Referee: M Duffy (Sligo).