Galway League 2

Waterford League 3

By Mike Rafferty in Drom

AN impressive Oscar Traynor Cup qualifying campaign in which they topped their group set up the Galway League for a quarter-final against Waterford on Sunday and while the contest was competitive, the home side were always chasing the game after they found themselves two down at the break.

Conditions were very difficult at times and brutal at others in Drom, but a much changed Galway side just left themselves too much to do. With a gale blowing across the park that probably slightly favoured the home side in the opening half, they just never got to the pitch of the game, as the visitors looked more assured.

The second half was a different story as Galway enjoyed more possession and offered a greater threat, but while their contributions in the last third of the park improved, they just troubled the visitors on too few occasions. Waterford were backboned by six players from Villa FC and, of course, they are drawn to face Salthill Devon in the FAI Junior Cup in two weeks time.

They were not concerned about exposing their players to the watching Devon eyes, while in total contrast just two Devon players started, as four more who played in the last game against Sligo-Leitrim were not available for a variety of reasons.

Waterford certainly displayed an ability to pass the ball about more freely in the opening exchanges, but the home side had their best chance of the half when Padraig Cunningham latched on to an Aaron Neay pass, but could not get the better of the advancing Gavin Buckley.

Kody McCann had a few half chances, but was indecisive with his output. A Colm Whelan shot that drifted over was their only other opportunity of note in that first half. Meanwhile, the visitors struck twice and got the opener on 26 minutes when poor defensive cover allowed Conor Kilgannon a free shot on goal and his close range header ten minutes later made it 2-0.

The weather had calmed a bit for a spell on the resumption, while Galway’s performance also improved as they took the game to the visitors. The football was a bit sharper as Timmy Molloy and Ger O’Riordan gave them some forward momentum, but for all of that the Waterford defence was giving little away.

Cunningham departed the fray with an ankle injury just after the restart, with Colm Whelan repositioned to lead the line as Calum Browne was introduced. A McCann cross offered Neary a chance, but he pushed his shot wide of the target. As Browne and McCann tried to offer some width and provide some ammunition for the home side, they were rewarded when Whelan applied a low finish on 77 minutes to pull one back.

However, the home side never built on that as Waterford, with Darryl Walsh, Dylan Stickel and Luke Walsh to the fore, continued to make an impression on the game. A smart TJ Forde save denied Aaron O’Connor, before the goalkeeper was less than perfect when he allowed a Kilgannon shot from outside the box through his hands, as the son of a Caltra native completed his hat trick.

An additional time goal by Ben McDonnell did pull one more back for the Galway League, but it was too late to rescue matters.

Galway League: Forde, O’Gorman, Duffy, Ward, B. Molloy, O’Riordan (Waweru 68mins), T. Molloy, Neary (McDonnell 88), McCann, Cunningham (Browne inj. 51, Whelan.

Waterford League: Buckley, Hodanu (Carney 88), Browne, D. Walsh, Stickel, L. Walsh, Kilgannon, O’Connor, Binions (Ahearn 88), Masood (Tamen 84), Brennan (Daly 84).

Referee: Paul Malone (Mullingar).

Pictured: The Galway League team which lost out to the Waterford League in the Oscar Traynor Cup quarter-final in Drom on Sunday. Back row, left to right: Colm Whelan, Ben Molloy, TJ Forde, Nathan Ward and Padraig Cunningham. Front row: Aaron Neary, Kody McCann, Luke O’Gorman, Ger O’Riordan, Timmy Molloy and Adam Duffy.