Mayo 0-14

Galway 0-11

IT’S a trend which is becoming worrying: the poor recent record of Galway’s senior footballers in finals at Croke Park.

For Sunday’s disappointing loss to arch provincial rivals Mayo in the Division One league final now represents the fifth time on the trot that the Tribesmen have failed to close the deal at GAA headquarters when silverware was on the line.

This bad run began against Dublin in the league final of 2018, before Galway were swept aside by Mayo in the second-half of the 2021 Connacht showdown. Two more defeats in deciders followed at Croke Park last year.

Firstly, Galway were pipped at the post in the Division Two league final by Roscommon, while few Galway supporters will need reminding of last July’s All-Ireland reversal against Kerry. A couple of those finals could have swung Galway’s way but didn’t.

With Mayo’s attention expected to be focused on this weekend’s Connacht championship opener against Roscommon, Sunday’s Division One final appeared to represent the perfect opportunity for Padraic Joyce’s team to end their habit of coming up short in finals at Croke Park.

It’s not as though Galway’s can’t win in the capital; after-all, they put Derry and Armagh to the sword in knock-out championship matches there in 2022, but the team’s latest final eclipse is psychologically damaging ahead of their Connacht campaign

To be blunt about it, Galway weren’t at their best on Sunday. They were flat early on and looked more like the team distracted by facing into the championship cauldron this weekend rather than Mayo.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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