Galway Advertiser 1987/1987_08_20/GA_20081987_E1_008.pdf 

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JOHN JOYCE S a m ' s m a n o f the m a t c h

It w o u l d h a v e b e e n a beautiful way to win. Getting up in the last stride. Letting the o t h e r h o r s e back f o r a dead-heat didn't s e e m on the cards with time m o r e t h a n u p . T h e r e is n o d o u b t a t all w e h a d Cork o n the ropes last S u n d a y after a m a r v ellous comeback that yielded 5 points in 8 m i n u t e s . D r e a m stuff but w e m a d e the vital mistake or two in those excruciatingly long final seconds to give Cork a reprieve. The s c o r e G a l w a y 1-11 t o C o r k ' s 1-11, c e r t a i n l y let Cork off the hook.

Marvellous Galway comeback lets Cork off the hook!
Ridge was there again. H e has the same old love for the maroon and white as his Cois Fharraige neighbour Sean Ban who told me after the game in a broken voice "These finishes are not good for the heart". Mass in the Hotel Conference Room was celebrated by Rev. Sean Kitt, P.P., one of the Castleblakeney clan who himsef wore the Galway minor football jersey over 4 0 years ago. Tradition lives on. H e had musical backing from his 3 sturdy nephews - all Gealltra footballers - and it all added up to a great start to a sunny morning. It was then down to team meetings in the same Conference Room for both minors and seniors (separately of course). Injured players had then to be massaged. Then the cup of tea and the bus to Croke Park.

John Joyce
And so it comes
naming my man of

to
the

Another Day
VAL DALY Goal a P e a c h But it wasn't a deflated Galway mood afterwards. It was a good mixture of joy, determination and just a wee tinge of disap pointment at not having held the head in front. But hats off to Cork. They kept fighting in adversity and Larry Tomkins's last kick point from a free outside the 50 yards line was a real beauty in a high pressure situation. It may have broken Galway hearts but it certainly saved Cork's skin and both teams lived to fight another day.

match. Unhesitatingly it is John Joyce, who all through showed great fight and confidence. All he needs to d o is tidy up his football just that little bit. Val Daly's second half display was vintage stuff and his goal a peach. Gay McManus's freetaking was a great bonus. H o w often have we lost games here? Barry Brennan too was motor ing at the end, and so were substitutes Gerry Burke and Padhraic Kelly. Brian O'Donnell's lack o f training hampered him a lot but his touch o n to Daly for the goal showed both vision and courage.

John Fallon prepares to sidestep Christy Ryan.

Mtuwwur

"

**

Frank Broderick
I n the backs all seven played with great courage. Pat Comer was unlucky to be caught by a richochet shot and a few short kickouts went astray. Frank Broderick played with great fire as usual, and got away with one poor passing error as in the Connacht final. Seamus M c H u g h stuck to dangerman John O'Driscoll like a leach and was always confident in possession. There was a great dual between Tompkins and Tierney with honours shared. Cork won the midfield battle but both Talty and Blehein never wilted and at times shared the honours. . N e x t week I'll write about the replay and how the hurlers are getting on in training out in Athenry. It's a busy time but would we have it any other way. And it was nice to see the great reception Cyril Farrell and Billy Joyce got as they finished the Cospoir Streets of Galway 8 K together in Eyre Square last Friday. Till next week Slan agaibh. Tailpiece: G r a t i t u d e to the N o r t h e r n Bank for showing faith in the footballers with a fine window display last week. Irish Rail laid on a good service. Everything on time except for a small bit of confusion at Connolly before setting out on the way home. I'll come back to the Dublin S.F.C. Quiz re Brian Talty next week. See letters on this topic. Slan. Eyes right at Galway dugout as Larry Tompkins takes the final Cork free.

Double Still On
I've often said it t h a t in many ways we are spoilt in this county sending up teams to Croke Park Sunday after Sunday. We have been successstarved, I'll admit but we are always in there trying. So perhaps there is a light at test at the end of the rainbow and that elusive double is still on. But let us take one step at a time.

John Joyce in possession.

Sunday Week
FRANK BRODERICK P l a y e d w i t h great fire That day is Sunday week and Galway supporters who are now beginning to rally around the footballers once again will have to dig deep mto their financial reserves to keep faith with the possible achievement of the double. In one sense this is a great bonus for the hurlers as they train for the All Ireland Final tilt with Kilkenny who got a right fright v. Antrim in Dundalk last Sunday. For they can train in relative peace while the footballers strive to keep pace with them. In this respect it was nice to see C y r i l Farrell, Joe Cooney, B r e n d a n L y n s k e y and B e r n i e O ' C o n n o r all l e n d i n g s u p p o r t last Sunday and to meet past Galway footballers like Mick Judge, Johnny Hughes, Sean Purcell, Cyril Dunne, John Keenan, Gay Mitchell and S e a n M e a d e , in Dublin for the game.

Goal a Lifeline
T o get to the game itself Galway started well and p u t the moves together to score 2 points. T h e n Cork took over t h e initiative and got a fortuitous enough goal to give them a big advantage. All things seemed to go wrong for Galway now a n d some forward moves were pathetic i n their finish particularly. Another dim result seemed in prospect until Val Daly's superb goal before t h e interval. T h a t jOal gave Galway the ifeline they n e e d e d a t t h e break.

Seamus McHugh clearing his lines.

JOHN FALLON S h o w e d great coolness for Galway's final point

Reserves
In the second half Galway started well again then faded out at midfield and then when defeat stared them in the face they found the necessary reserves to come back so magnigicently and almost steal the game. In those final 10 minutes we saw Galway football as it used to be firing on all pistons almost, keeping the play open and setting up the vital moves, w e still showed a lack of confidence in not putting Cork away but that will come. Galway needed the game more than Cork and will have benefited accordingly.

Jo Jo Ridge
Once again the Ashling Hotel was the Galway H.Q. for the wetkend (Cork stayed in the Lucan Spa Hotel). It wasn't as hectic a scene as the week before but there was a mood of excitement in the air once the supporters started to arrive. Jo Jo

GAY M c M A N U S Free taking a b o n u s