Galbally Pearses 4-4

Dunmore MacHales 1-9

John McIntyre in Mullingar

MIDWAY through this absorbing All-Ireland Club Intermediate Football semi-final at St Loman’s Park, Mullingar on Saturday, Dunmore MacHales were staring down the barrel of an ugly defeat.

Two points down having played with the strong wind and with their defence being repeatedly carved open by the strong-running and athletic Ulster champions, there appeared little hope of a successful salvage operation for Gary Delaney’s charges on the resumption.

But Dunmore MacHales have developed an inner-steel during their triumphant Galway and provincial campaigns, and this never-say-die spirit saw them storm back into contention to leave them on the brink of a famous victory with three minutes of normal time remaining.

Full forward Pádraig Costello’s fifth pointed free of the semi-final saw the MacHales edge 1-9 to 3-2 in front and with their fans in the big crowd roaring on their approval of a courageous display, the Galway champions had somehow turned the game back in their favour.

But all day, Galbally ruled the skies and from the resulting kick-out, influential midfielder Cormac Donnelly leaped highest to secure possession and from his delivery into the Dunmore danger area, Daniel Kerr planted the ball past Conor Gleeson for his team’s fourth goal.

In the space of 60 seconds, Dunmore’s ecstasy had turned into agony, typical of the rollercoaster ride this semi-final had become. It was a tough outcome on the one-time traditional power of Galway football, but their defensive lines were too easily breached in the opening half.

Galbally had come into the match with a reputation as something of a goal-scoring machine and they had the ball in the Dunmore net inside three minutes when Ronan Nugent raised the first of his three green flags. Donnelly’s centre should never have reached him, but the soccer-style finish from the lively half-forward was top quality.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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