St Michael’s 1-15

Caltra 0-15

(After extra-time)

By Eanna O’Reilly at Tuam Stadium

St Michael’s secured promotion the senior championship for 2025, after overcoming a battling Caltra side, in a county intermediate final replay which required extra time to separate two excellent teams. One year after suffering relegation from the top tier of Galway football, the city side made their return thanks to a well-earned final victory.

It was a very tough defeat for a Caltra side which made a Trojan effort to win the intermediate title, only to come up short after a replay and extra time. The Caltra supporters certainly couldn’t have asked for any more in terms of effort from their players. The result could have gone either way, right up until the final whistle, in what was a tremendous contest.

The city side opened the scoring at Tuam Stadium, with a good point from Eamonn Branigan from the edge of the D. Caltra’s Shaun Keane soon opened their account at the other end, after getting onto a long delivery.

The sides exchanged another two points, courtesy of Brannigan, and Alan Naughton (free) to leave it at 0-2 apiece. Michaels then had a dominant spell, with four points on the spin during the next 12 minutes.

Eoin Kerin, Conal Gallagher, and Brannigan (two points) – who was really catching fire – pushed Michaels into a four-point lead with some excellent attacking football on display. Caltra needed a lift approaching half-time, and they finished the first half strongly.

Three consecutive scores from the East Galway side had them back within a point of their opponents shortly before the interval. Alan Naughton had a hand in all three, scoring two (one free), while providing a pass for Owen Naughton, who pointed from the right corner.

It meant that Michaels held a one-point lead at half time, on a 0-6 to 0-5 scoreline, but the city side extended their lead shortly after the resumption. A good move involving Gallagher, David Cunnane, and Ethan Fiorentini finished with another well taken score from Brannigan.

Gary Higgins soon sent over a good score, after a pass from Frank Daly, to put Michaels 0-8 to 0-5 ahead. Four minutes later, Higgins added a free after a foul on Gavin Summerville. Caltra required a spark, and Keane got the scoreboard moving for them, fisting over a point after getting under Alan Naughton’s dropping free.

Pictured: The St Michael’s squad celebrate with the cup on the Tuam Stadium pitch. Photo: Joe O’Shaughnessy.