Moycullen 1-12

Claregalway 1-11

Pádraic Ó Ciardha at Pearse Stadium

MOYCULLEN squeezed through to the final four of this year’s senior football championship thanks to the narrowest of wins over Claregalway in their quarter-final clash. The 2020 champions looked to be in cruise control for much of this contest at Pearse Stadium, but there was a kick in Claregalway that came very close to sending their opponents crashing out.

Barry Goldrick had a chance to win it for Claregalway in the fifth minute of added-time. Having been picked out on the 21m line by a quick free from Conor Flaherty, Goldrick knew he needed to hit the back of the net to put his side in front but his rushed shot was always rising and didn’t trouble the slew of Moycullen defenders between him and the goal. The ball was still rising as the final whistle blew and Goldrick was left with his head in his hands, an unfortunate ending for a player who had done plenty to bring Claregalway back into contention.

Now facing into a semi-final against reigning champions Mountbellew-Moylough, Moycullen are hardly in need of a wake-up call but the manner in which they nearly let this one slip will give Don Connellan plenty to work on over the coming week. Moycullen were six points clear after 40 minutes of play, 1-10 to 1-4, but in the end they needed two long-range placed balls from Peter Cooke  – their only two scores in the final 20 minutes – to get them over the line.

Cooke had been relatively quiet up to that point but it was still a dominant enough performance from Moycullen  for the opening two thirds of the game. The relentless running of the Kelly brothers – Seán, Eoghan and Paul – set the tone for much of the game while Owen Gallagher was also influential on his return to the team after a long spell on the sidelines.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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