By COLM SHALVEY at
Cloghan
Galway made it two
wins from two outings in the 2019 Lidl National League – and
claimed top spot outright in Division 1 ahead of Sunday’s games –
thanks to a hard-earned win away to Monaghan.
Team captain Tracey
and Róisín Leonard hit all nine of Galway’s points between them,
while Sarah Conneally came off the bench to get their goal. A
well-organised defence allowed Monaghan to battle to the end, but the
Farney County suffered a second successive defeat of the campaign.
Galway had to settle
for going in level at the interval after playing with the elements at
a windy Cloghan, but despite scoring just twice from play over the
hour, the TG4 Connacht champions got over the line to make it
back-to-back wins.
Monaghan were first
off the mark in the eighth minute via a Ciara McAnespie point, but
Galway got the next two scores from a brace of frees by Tracey
Leonard. Shauna Coyle brought Monaghan back on level terms with a
good score and although another Leonard free edged the visitors ahead
again, Leanne Maguire responded in kind.
Leonard’s fourth
free of the half had Galway one up for the third time, but a
well-taken effort by Muireann Atkinson brought Monaghan level at 0-4
apiece at half-time.
A Maguire free
opened the second-half scoring, but frees by Tracey and Róisín
Leonard regained a narrow lead for Galway. Cora Courtney got on the
end of a dangerous centre from Ciara McAnespie to fist over an
equaliser for Monaghan, only for Galway to hit back with 1-1 in quick
succession. Róisín Leonard converted a second well-struck free off
the ground and when Galway won the following kick-out, they quickly
worked it forward for half-time sub Conneally to fire home the
opening goal.
Monaghan got a
lifeline three minutes later when a Maguire free from distance
fortuitously dropped into the net, but a nice point from play by
Róisín Leonard doubled Galway’s advantage. A good point by
Rosemary Courtney kept Monaghan in touch, but they couldn’t add to
their tally in the final quarter.
Róisín Leonard
blazed a penalty high and wide for Galway, but Tracey Leonard tapped
over a free six minutes from time, while Monaghan had goalkeeper
Bridín Treanor sin-binned for dissent.
Scorers –
Monaghan: L Maguire 1-2 (1-2f); R Courtney 0-1, C Courtney 0-1, C
McAnespie 0-1, S Coyle 0-1, M Atkinson 0-1.
Galway: T Leonard
0-6 (6f); R Leonard 0-3 (2f); S Conneally 1-0.
Monaghan: B Treanor;
H McSkeane, A McAnespie, N Kerr; C Treanor, C McBride, S Boyd; M
Atkinson, R Courtney; S Coyle, C Courtney (Capt.), E McAnespie; E
Woods; L Maguire, C McAnespie.
Sub: Abbie McCarey
for C Treanor (60).
Galway: L Murphy; F
Cooney, B Hannon, S Lynch; M Coyne, S Molloy, C Cooney; O Divilly, Á
McDonagh; M Seoighe, T Leonard (Capt.), L Coen; R Ní Flahartha, R
Leonard, L Hannon.
Subs: S Conneally
for Ní Flahartha (h-t), E Gavin for B Hannon (42), L Booth for Coyne
(50), M De Búrca for Coen (57).
Referee: G Corrigan
(Down).
