University of Galway open Fitzgibbon campaign with a win

Runners-up for the last two years, the University of Galway got their Fitzgibbon Cup campaign off to a winning start away to SETU Carlow last night. It finished 3-19 to 2-12 to the Galway side, with Charlie Mitchell from Offaly, the only non-Galway player on the team, notching two goals for the Galway College. Played on the astroturf in SETU Carlow, the home side started the game the brighter and led by 1-4 to 0-6 after 20 minutes. From there to half-time though, it was all Galway and Mitchell’s wonderful solo run and goal in the 26th minute, along with six points without reply saw University of Galway lead by 1-12 to 1-4 at the break. Three further scores at the start of the second half put the Galway lads 11 points up before Carlow rallied with four points in a row which threatened to make a game of it at 1-15 to 1-8. Just before the three-quarter mark, University of Galway ended the game as a contest when Charlie Mitchell finished to the net after a Niall Collins shot was saved and ten minutes from time, Colm Molloy rounded off the scoring with Galway’s third goal after being set up by Mitchell. Next up for UoG is a home tie against UCD next Thursday.

University of Galway: Cormac Kenny (Cappataggle); Kieran Hanrahan (Loughrea); Eoin Lawless (Athenry), Mark Hardiman (Athenry), Patrick Burke (Oranmore Maree), Daniel Loftus (Turloughmore), Tiernan Killeen (Loughrea); Liam Leen (Clarinbridge), Ian McGlynn (Sarsfields); Alex Connaire (Sarsfields), Gavin Lee (Clarinbridge), Conor Walsh (Turloughmore), Niall Collins (Cappataggle), Charlie Mitchell (Offaly), Colm Molloy (Kilnadeema Leitrim). Subs: Phelim McCann (Clarinbridge) for Mark Hardiman, 46; Shane Morgan (Loughrea) for Patrick Burke, 47; Ruben Davitt (Oranmore Maree) for Colm Molloy, 51; Jack O’Meara (Killimor) for Conor Walsh, 53; Cillian O’Callaghan (Castlegar) for Charlie Mitchell, 55.

Scorers: Charlie Mitchell  2-1, Niall Collins 0-6 (5fs), Gavin Lee 0-4, Colm Molloy 1-1, Tiernan Killeen 0-2, Ian McGlynn 0-1, Liam Leen 0-1, Patrick Burke 0-1, Alex Connaire 0-1, Eoin Lawless 0-1. 

SETU Carlow: J Lawlor; P Casey, M Dundon, C Corcoran, G Lynch, R Mullaney, K Moynihan; D Palmer, Conor Nolan; A Dunphy, E Cody, J Fogarty, P Boland, C Nolan, T Keyes. Subs: E English for Nolan, 6; M Troy for Palmer, 46; D O’Donovan for Fogarty, 53. Scorers: T Keyes 1-2, E Cody 0-5fs, D O’Donovan 1-0, J Fogarty 0-1, K Moynihan 0-1, C Nolan 0-1, A Dunphy 0-1, G Lynch 0-1.

Cover photo courtesy of GAA website and Seb Daly, Sportsfile