Donegal County Council 1-8
Galway Garda 0-10
There was heartbreak for the Galway Garda when they went under by the minimum to a well organized Donegal County Council in the All Ireland Interfirms Junior Football Championship semi-final in Ballinrobe on Tuesday evening.
In truth the northerners were the better team throughout and deserved their place in the decider. Ahead by two points at the interval, Donegal went on to dominate the second half but poor shooting left them only four points clear entering the closing stages. They were almost left to rue those missed opportunities as Galway staged a comeback and three Cormac Bane points dragged the westerners back within one point with time running out. However like Donegal, Galway missed a few chances to force extra time.
Galway started brightly. Points from Cormac Bane, Mark Caffrey, and Brendan Ryan gave them a 0-3 o 0-1 lead after eight minutes. Donegal began to establish control around the centre and a Mark Gallagher goal midway through the half swung the advantage in Donegal’s favour. The second quarter was evenly contested with both sides exchanging two points each with Bane and Ryan on target for Galway. A keenly contested half ended with the Donegal men ahead by two at the interval- 1-5 to 0-6.
The Donegal men started the second half the stronger, and with the aid of a brilliant long-range point from centre forward Trevor Alcorn, they had opened up a four-point lead five minutes into the second period.
A pointed free from Bane reduced the arrears, but a Mark Gallagher point re-established the four-point lead after 12 minutes. This was to prove the northerners’ final score of the contest. Despite dominating the match they squandered many opportunities to put the match out of Galway’s reach. When Cormac Bane converted a close-in free with five minutes to go, it gave the Galway men renewed hope. Another Bane point seconds later and suddenly there was only two points in it.
Galway were not finished, and when Bane swung over another fine effort in the 29th minute, a lazarous recovery was on the cards. However they spurned opportunities in injury time to force extra time. Despite the late scare, Donegal County Council qualify for the All Ireland decider against the Limerick Garda.
Galway Garda: A Keane, R McIntyre, B Burke, J Kelly, M O’Sullivan, J Fitzmaurice, P Kelly, S Fitzmaurice, D Connellan, M Caffrey (0-2 ), C Bane (0-7 ), B Ryan (0-1 ), S McDonnell, S Weldron, P O’Connor. Subs: A Regan, S Durcan, P McBride, F Kilbane, B Meaney.
