The Galway footballers got their 2018 FBD League campaign off to a winning start after they beat Sligo 1-12 to 0-11 in a wet and windy Connacht GAA Centre last night. Sean Kelly got the only goal of the game 6 minutes before half time for the winners, with Peter Cooke, Adrian Varley and Frankie Burke in good scoring form. Sligo relied heavily on Adrian Marren who scored 0-8 of his sides total.
The winners played with the aid of a strong diagonal wind in the opening half and led 0-4 to 0-1 after 12 minutes thanks to three frees from Peter Cooke and a Patrick Sweeney effort. Frankie Burke and Adrian Varley pointed for Galway either side of debutante full back Sean Andy Kelly picking up a black card, with Marren (0-2) and Sean Carrabine keeping Sligo in touch to leave it 0-6 to 0-4 after 29 minutes. Then the games only goal arrived as Sean Kelly profited from a slip in the Sligo defence to slot home and Galway would take a 5 point advantage into the break, 1-7 to 0-5.
The impressive Johnny Duane set up Adrian Varley for a great point at the start of the second half to stretch the Galway lead, but 3 points in a row from Adrian Marren (0-2) and Finian Cawley pulled the gap back to 1-8 to 0-8. Frankie Burke and Adrian Varley kept the scoreboard ticking over for Galway as Marren continued his one man mission to keep the Yeats County's chances of a win in new manager Cathal Corey's first game in charge. It was 1-10 to 0-10 with 15 minutes to go when Galway boss Kevin Walsh introduced 2016 minor stars Dessie Conneely and Robert Finnerty and both got on the score board late on as the Tribesmen eased to a 1-12 to 0-11 win.
Scorers for Galway: Peter Cooke 0-4 (4 x frees), Sean Kelly 1-0, Adrian Varley 0-3, Frankie Burke 0-2, Patrick Sweeney, Dessie Conneely and Robert Finnerty (f) 0-1 each.
Scorers for Sligo: Adrian Marren 0-8 (4 x frees, 1 x 45), Darragh Cummins, Finian Cawley, and Sean Carrabine 0-1 each.
GALWAY: Ronan O’Beolain; Gareth Bradshaw, Sean Andy Kelly, Evan Wynne; Cathal Sweeney, Johnny Duane, David Wynne; Tom Flynn, Ciaran Duggan; John Maher, Peter Cooke, Sean Kelly; Frankie Burke, Patrick Sweeney, Adrian Varley.
Subs: Eamon Brannigan for Sean Andy Kelly (20, Black Card), Robert Finnerty for Adrian Varley (52), Dessie Conneely for Frankie Burke (55), Paul Conroy for Ciaran Duggan (60), Padraic Cunningham for Patrick Sweeney (65), Frankie Burke for David Wynne (70, Black Card).
SLIGO: Aidan Devaney; Eoin McHugh, Eddie McGuinness, Mikey Gordon; Keelan Cawley, Darragh Cummins, Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch; Patrick O’Connor, Paul Kilcoyne; Neil Ewing, Finian Cawley, Jodie O’Reilly; Adrian Marren, Pat Hughes, Sean Carrabine.
Subs: Paul McNamara for Keelan Cawley (19, Black Card), Kevin Henry for Paul Kilcoyne (HT), Nathan Mullen for Jodie O’Reilly (HT), Ger Brady for Darragh Cummins (52), James Clarke for Patrick O’Connor (62), Peter Laffey for Pat Hughes (68).
REFEREE: Jerome Henry (Mayo).
After the game Ollie Turner spoke to Galway manager Kevin Walsh...
https://download-galwaybay.sharp-stream.com/Kevin%20Walsh%20post%20Sligo%20FBD.mp3
Galway Bay FM analyst Barry Cullinane told Ollie it was a big night for the young players making their first senior appearance...
https://download-galwaybay.sharp-stream.com/Barry%20Cullinane%20post%20Sligo%20FBD.mp3
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