Newly crowned Galway senior football champions Mountbellew Moylough will play only their second ever game in the Connacht Club Football Championship this Sunday when Val Daly's men make the trip to Carrick on Shannon for a quarter final tie with Leitrim champions Ballinamore Sean O'Heslins. The last time Mountbellew won the Galway senior title was in 1986, but because the championship ran into December, Milltown were nominated to represent Galway in the Connacht Club Championship because they had qualified for the final before Mountbellew's semi final replay against Oughterard. The all-conquering Clann na Gael side were too strong for Milltown that year, winning comfortably in the semi final before defeating Ballinamore Sean O'Heslins in the final 2-9 to 2-4. Four years later in 1990 the Ballinamore men were back in the Connacht final but lost out to Salthill 0-11 to 0-5.
Mountbellew (as the club was called in 1974) did play in the Connacht Club Championship after they beat Corofin in a replay, after extra time, in 1974. The Galway side came up against Roscommon Gaels in the Connacht semi final on their home pitch in Mountbellew, but were well beaten 1-9 to 1-3.
1974 Connacht Club Semi Final
Roscommon Gaels 1-9 Mountbellew 1-3
Report by Michael Lyster
Although only trailing by two points at the interval after playing against a stiff breeze in the first half, Mountbellew failed to make the expected breakthrough oh the resumption and were well beaten by Roscommon Gaels in the first round of the Connacht Clubs Championship at Mountbellew on Sunday.
In fact Mountbellew failed to score at all in that second period which is indicative of the tremendous performance by the Gaels defence rather than any failings On the part of the Mountbellew attack. One can pick out a number of instances where Mountbellew were unfortunate riot to score like that missed penalty by Johnny Hughes, or where the Gaels were in luck, as they were for their first goal which should not have happened.
But when all-is said and done, it comes down to simply this: the Gaels were the better team. They were stronger, fitter and more talented than Mountbellew, with players in the side such as the O'Garas, John and Larry, Michael McNamara and Tom Donlon and they had the measure of their opponents from the very start. Mountbellew put in a brave performance — let there be no doubt about that — and I think it would only fair to say that their style of play was less suited to the adverse weather conditions than their opponents. But they had no answer to the O'Garas at midfield where this game was really won and lost. They cut up Mountbellew to such an extent in the second half that only for the difficult conditions the Gaels might have run up a cricket score. From the start Roscommon gave indications of their strength in attack-when they ran up three quick points and then in the 7th minute, before Mountbellew had a chance to settle down, Mick McNamara had the ball in the net when a centre by him slipped past Val Coakley in the Mountbellew goal. Mountbellew hit back and had their first point through Joe Healy, although this was offset by another point for the Gaels by Michael McNeeley. A minute later Mountbellew were lucky to get off when a Roscommon forward struck the cross-bar with a fierce drive and the rebound was frantically bustled away by the home defence.
In the 28th minute Mountbellew made their best move of the day when Jarlath Gallagher fired a low shot through the Gaels back line and the ball come off the post to the waiting Tom Mannion, who slotted it home. The sides exchanged points after this and this left Mountbellew trailing 1-5 to 1-3 at the interval. Favoured by a strong breeze in the second half, Mountbellew looked poised to take command of the game but although they started with a determined flurry the Gaels defence stood firm and as the game progressed it became more evident that the home side had met their match. John O'Gara stretched Roscommon's lead with two good points in the first ten minutes and Michael McNamara completed the scoring with two more points. There was no scoring in the last quarter of the game, although Mountbellew had the better chances and missed a golden opportunity of cutting the deficit when Hughes hit the post and came back into play. On their form, it is doubtful if the Gaels would have been caught even if the shot was scored. Roscommon had some outstanding players in their back lines, particularly Mick Cormican, John McDermott and Michael McNeeley. At midfield John and Larry O'Gara were devastating, and up front Tom Donlon, Michael McNamara and Patrick O'Donnell deserve mention.
This was an unhappy day for Mountbellew, who have yet to win a game since becoming county champions. They had their best triers in defence where Padraic Byrne, Tom Cunningham and John Hughes did their best and Brendan Colleran shone in spots. Tony Dolan and Seamus Rushe had a quiet day at centrefield, while in attack Iomar Barrett, Tom Mannion and Joe Healy got through a lot of work and Francis Rushe did better in the second half when he came outfield.
Mountbellew: V. Coakley; P. Byrne, M. Reilly, T. Cunningham; B. Colleran, J. Hughes, S. Conway; T. Dolan, S. Rushe; I. Barrett, T. Mannion (1-1), J. Gallagher, J. Healy (0-1), F, Rushe (0-1), T. Donnellan.
Roscommon Gaels: T. Connor, S. Hunt, J. McDermott; M. Cormican, M. Minton, M. McNeeley (0-1); J. Martin, J. O'Gara (0-2), L. O'Gara; T. Donlon, M. McNamara (1-3), P. Shaughnessy, D. Twomey, P. O'Donnell (0-2), M. Fahy (0-1).
Referee: P. J. McGrath, Claremorris.
