Breakaway Walsh goal ensures narrow away win for Galway

A breakaway goal from Shane Walsh in the 67th minute was the key score as Galway were pushed all the way by Westmeath in front of a very big crowd in ideal conditions for football in Mullingar.

The Tribesmen, who had the aid of a slight wind, almost got off to a dream start when a strong run from the throw-in by Matthew Tierney teed up Cein Darcy for a goal chance, but Jason Daly pulled off a terrific save at the expense of a ’45’ which Connor Gleeson converted.

Sam McCartan, a grandson of Galway legend Sean Purcell, equalised in fine style and Dessie Dolan’s charges took the lead in the seventh minute courtesy of a fisted effort by Robbie Forde.

All-Star nominee Ronan O’Toole was black-carded in the tenth minute, and the visitors scored two points during that ten-minute spell via Darcy and a Walsh free.

Point exchanges ensued between David Lynch and Shane Walsh (free), before Heslin (free) and Walsh again, with a fine effort from play, kept the scoreboard ticking over.

Another Heslin free and a great point from Ray Connellan tied the scoring at 0-06 apiece with a half an hour elapsed.

Cillian McDaid nudged Padraic Joyce’s troops ahead, but the Lake County men finished the half strongly with points from Heslin (a free, after the impressive Ronan Wallace was pushed close to the parallelogram) and Wallace himself in the last action of the half.

Westmeath, who didn’t hit a single wide in the opening 35 minutes compared to Galway’s five, led by 0-08 to 0-07 at the interval.

Heslin doubled Westmeath’s lead with a converted free in the 39th minute. Gleeson then missed two long-range placed balls at the other end – a ’45’ and a free from slightly further out – but the Tribesmen eventually drew level with a point apiece from Gleeson (from a ’45’) and a free by Walsh.

Tierney opened his account in the 62nd minute, but Westmeath equalised via Wallace within a minute.

The game was very much up for grabs until a misplaced pass by Connellan allowed Walsh to run almost half the length of the pitch and the Kilmacud Crokes man fired an unstoppable shot to the roof of the net.

Heslin narrowed the gap with a free, but Galway saw out a very hard-earned win with late insurance points from Tierney and blood sub Kieran Molloy.

Galway: C Gleeson (0-02, two ’45’s); J McGrath, S Fitzgerald, J Glynn; D McHugh, J Daly, L Silke; P Conroy, J Maher; J Heaney, M Tierney (0-02), C Darcy (0-01); C Hernon (0-01), S Walsh (1-04, three frees), C McDaid (0-01).

Subs: D Ó Flaherty for Hernon (45), S Mulkerrin for Daly (45), T Culhane for McDaid (52), C Sweeney for Heaney (55), L Ó Conghaile for Maher (65), K Molloy (0-01) for Mulkerrin (blood, 70). e

Westmeath: J Daly; J Gonoud, K Maguire, J Dolan; S McCartan (0-01), R Wallace (0-02), D Lynch (0-01); R Connellan (0-01), A McCormack; J Lynam, R O’Toole, C Drumm; S Baker, J Heslin (0-05, five frees), R Forde (0-01).

Subs: L Loughlin for Forde (52), S Allen for Gonoud (55), S Smith for Baker (55), K Martin for Lynam (69), D Scahill for Dolan (inj., 70).

Ref: N Cullen (Fermanagh).