A youthful and spirited Galway were unlucky to lose to 2021 All Ireland intermediate champions, Antrim in their opening Littlewoods Ireland division two league game at the weekend.
Galway featured six players from the 2021 minor panel, while Caoimhe Reidy made her debut, and Laura Loughnane made her return for the upcoming season.
Antrim were the quickest off the mark establishing a 0-3 to 0-0 before Laura Loughnane opened Galway’s scoring in the seventh minute after good work from centre back Sinead Coleman and Katie Gilchrist.
The forwards and midfield worked hard to maintain territorial dominance and were rewarded with a Jennifer Hughes point. While Gilchrist missed two chances from placed balls for Galway, Antrim's Caoimhe Wright added another point to her tally.
McCormick narrowed the gap with another free, but Antrim maintained their lead with points from Siobhan McKillop and Wright.
Crucially Galway scored the major they needed on the 23rd minute when Gilchrist landed a long range free into the Galway square. The Antrim backs batted the ball away, but Tara Ruttledge won possession, and from an impossible angle, lobbed the ball into the back of the Antrim net.
Gilchrist added a long-range point from play before the break to leave Antrim ahead by the minimum.
Gilchrist had the sides level wit a free before Chloe Farragher gave Galway the lead for the first time two minutes later after a great pass from Tegan Canning.
Neither side would relent and by the 47th minute it was level with Canning and Farragher on target fort Galway.
However Antrim got their noses in front, and when McCormick set off from centre forward and blasted the ball past Ryan in the 59th minute, it sealed a 1-12 to 1-8 win for the home side.
Galway: F Ryan; C Starr, S Lyons, T Lawrence; K Porter, S Coleman, K Manning; C Reidy, J Hughes; T Canning, K Gilchrist, L Loughnane; C Reidy, T Rutledge, C Farragher. Subs: G O’Neill for C Reidy (43 ); A Donnellan for T Lawrence (50 ); E Dolphin for J Hughes (54 ).
Scorers: T Ruttledge 1-00; C Farragher 0-2; K Gilchrist 0-2 (1f ); T Canning 0-1; L Loughnane 0-1; J Hughes 0-1.
