I came across the movie The Green Mile a few nights ago on late night zombie TV.
You know the flick. It was adapted from a Stephen King short story back in 1999.
Tom Hanks is the prison guard and he connects with a big coloured prisoner, Tom Coffey, superbly played by Michael Clarke Duncan, who is on death row. Coffey is a mighty piece of stuff and can cure sick women who use bad language, men with kidney trouble and even the odd squashed mouse. Big Tom might even be able to do a job for Jack O’Connor on the edge of the square with Kieran Donaghy gone for the season.
The only problem for our hero is that, despite all his good qualities and healing powers, the electric chair is a step too far and he is sadly and poignantly executed at the end of the movie. All together now - Awwwwh. The bottom line is that unless something major happens like a pardon or a break-out, those men on death row will eventually run out of road and have to face the harsh fact that they are dead men walking.
Are the Galway footballers in that category this weekend?
They were deservedly beaten last Sunday by a forceful and improving Mayo team and now face Donegal in a live TV game this Saturday at 5pm in Markievicz Park. At a small stretch it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that they will beat Donegal, but then in the last eight they would face either Tyrone, Cork or Dublin.
Ouch, I say? Based on what we have seen thus far from Liam Sammon’s team in the championship, can you see them beating any of those three? I cannot.
That said, Galway supporters must live in hope and with Matthew Clancy and Kieran Fitzgerald back in the starting line up for the Donegal game there appears to be a better balance in the side. Assuming that Nicky Joyce can maintain his terrific point-taking average from last Sunday and score the goal chances that come his way, and Michael Meehan gets better ball and starts like he finished last Sunday, and if Armstrong is kept closer to goal, then the side does have a very potent inside line. However they need ball and lots of it.
Galway need to try to isolate those three players in one on ones and try to get Donegal to withdraw their half-back line. John Joe Doherty and his team got a serious lesson off Michael Meehan in the league and they will be a lot shrewder this Saturday.
Karl Lacey was magnificent last weekend and cleaned out Paddy Bradley. It will be interesting to see if he is put marking Meehan or out picking up Padraig Joyce, who he did very well on in last year’s league. Up front Donegal will look to Colm McFadden and Michael Murphy to hit the scores. They shot a combined 1-08 from play against Derry and they must be stopped by a combination of Damien Burke, Finian Hanley and Kieran Fitzgerald and pressure out the field.
Another man who must be stopped is Brian Roper. He is their link man and whoever picks him up must be like a rash on him all evening. Donegal are beatable, as they were putrid against Carlow and Clare before they found their form against Derry. They are like a young lad or girl out on their Debs night - you just don’t know which way they’ll jump.
However their win last weekend and the disciplining that Doherty has done during the league could be paying dividends now and they will be in a good place coming down the short few miles to Sligo. Next Saturday evening is about the Galway players putting aside whatever problems have been bothering them this year and putting their shoulders to the wheel for the good of the team and Galway football. Maybe it is only a matter of time until they are unceremoniously dumped out of the championship and indeed they may be indeed “Dead Men Walking”, but that should not stop them fighting tooth and nail everyday that they are still in it to keep their dream alive.
PS. Despite being bitterly disappointed, like many other Galway people, by our defeat last Sunday and the manner of it to Mayo, it must be acknowledged that the better team won. And fair play to Peadar Gardiner for his tactical awareness, ambition and the quality with which he slotted over the winning point, it was a terrific score and one worthy of winning any game.
