Midfielder Adrian Cullinane scored 1-02 as
Galway's All-Ireland charge gathered further pace
this afternoon with a comfortable S.H.C second round qualifier
win over Laois in Salthill Cullinane bulged the net in the
31st-minute and additional points from Alan Kerins, Joe Canning
and Cullinane put the hosts 1-14 to 0-06 ahead at half-time.The
gulf in class was too obvious despite the best efforts of Laois'
John Brophy and Noel Costello (0-03 each). The second half was a
tame affair with Galway's teenage star Canning taking his
personal tally to 0-09. Five of Galway's starting six forwards
were on target as the Tribesmen cut loose for their second big
win in the space of a week - they had 26 points to spare over
Antrim last Saturday. Laois certainly felt the pressure of a
rampant Galway attack, and under interim boss Niall Rigney the
midlanders faced an uphill challenge to bounce back from the
turmoil of recent weeks. Their championship campaign seemed to
crumble as they lost to Offaly in the Leinster championship and
subsequently lost their manager Damien Fox, who departed
following disappointing turn-outs at training by his players.
But this was a spirited performance by a Laois side who were
keen to bounce back and show their mettle following those
disappointments. With dual player Cahir Healy back in the
starting fifteen, the O'Moore men came into this game confident
of producing a respectable result. And they showed some early
quality, only trailing by 0-04 to 0-02 after 12 minutes, with
Noel Costello and John Rowney both taking points, while Ger
Farragher, Damien Hayes, Alan Kerins and Andy Smith claimed the
home side's scores. Indeed, Laois were marshalling strongly at
the back with Healy and Brian Campion performing particularly
well. Although he scored nine points in this game, it was a
reasonably quiet encounter for Joe Canning, with the Portumna
youngster held scoreless until the 24th-minute, when his first
point propelled Galway into a 0-08 to 0-05 lead. Two quick
points in succession from Iarla Tannian gave Ger Loughnane's
side a double scores lead, but Laois were not going to lie down
easily and their roving forward John Brophy was able to cut the
deficit to four points within a minute. Brophy was also
unfortunate not to grab the game's first goal, when with the
rain pelting down he broke through and was just crowded out by
two Galway defenders as the chance went a-begging. Cullinane
made no mistake when he rifled home the only goal of the game
soon after, giving his side a 1-11 to 0-6 lead. On the stand
side, the centre-fielder was picked out by Ger Farragher and 15
yards out to the left of the posts, he was able to blast past
Laois stopper Patrick Mullaney. Galway failed to let up before
the interval with points from Kerins, Canning and Cullinane
ensuring an 11-point buffer for them at the turnaround. Laois
would have certainly welcomed that half-time break, with Galway
firing from all angles in the closing minutes of the first half.
But any hopes of Laois staging a comeback on the restart were
quickly dispelled as the Tribesmen continued where they left off
in the opening period. Points from Smith and Hayes, along with a
trio of Joe Canning points, left the score at 1-19 to 0-06,
within 15 minutes of the restart. It was Laois' best forward
Brophy who gave the visitors their first point of the second
half in the 53rd-minute, with his third score of the contest.
Brophy, Willie Hyland and full-forward Eoin Holohan kept Laois
ticking on the scoreboard. But the game was over as a contest as
15 points separated the sides with as many minutes remaining.
Galway mercilessly continued to pile on the pressure and the
in-rushing Canning had a good chance to add to Laois' woes with
a 58th-minute goal effort. However, the 19-year-old had to watch
his shot come off the upright and slip wide of the target after
some decent pressure by the Laois defence. Galway pulled away at
the finish, outscoring Laois by five points to none in the
closing 12 minutes as they set up a meeting with the winners of
Cork v Dublin or Limerick v Offaly. Hammered but far from
disgraced, Laois will have to regroup for a relegation play-off
clash with Antrim in two weeks' time. The losers of that will
play the Christy Ring Cup champions to decide the final
placing's for next year's Liam McCarthy Cup.Galway: J
Skehill; D Joyce, F Moore, O Canning; S Kavanagh, J Lee, D
Forde; A Cullinane (1-02), A Smith (0-02); A Kerins (0-03), C
Donnellan, I Tannian (0-02); D Hayes (0-04), G Farragher (0-04,
0-02f), J Canning (0-09, 0-04f).
Subs used: N Healy for Donnellan (27 mins), C
Dervan for Moore (34), K Wade for N Healy (40), F Healy for
Kerins (48), R Murray for Smith (62).
Laois: P Mullaney; J A Delaney, B Campion, D
Maher; C Healy, James Walsh, J Phelan; C Delaney, C Coonan; J
Rowney (0-01), J Brophy (0-03), N Costello (0-03, 0-03f); N
Holmes, E Holohan (0-01), W Hyland (0-01).
Subs used: M McEvoy for Rowney (44 mins), E
Browne for Coonan (64).
Referee: James McGrath
(Westmeath)
Action from Galway v Laois
