All-Ireland U-21 victory is a morale-booster for the Senior Championship

By JIM CARNEY Galway .1-14 Cork .1-11 THE fifth and final round of the Cadbury-sponsored U-21 Football Championship was won by Galway in glorious style at Pairc na nGael, Limerick on Saturday evening. Despite not scoring for the final 19 minutes of the game, Galway did enough to protect a 3-point lead in the closing stages as Cork put in a huge effort to stave off defeat. There was no doubt about the merit of Galwayâ€â„¢s victory. For three-quarters of a hard, fast, well-contested All-Ireland final, the winners were on fire all through the field, playing stylish, free-flowing football with remarkable confidence and at all times with a sense of purpose, tactical awareness and slick teamwork. Cork, in sharp contrast, came up surprisingly short â€â€ on and off the field. In the opening minutes they turned down an easy point which would have opened the scoring, trying instead for a goal which the alert Galway backs prevented; and many times throughout the rest of the first half Cork players, in defence and attack, made far too much use of the fisted pass. Admittedly, they often looked dangerous in long, sweeping, length-of-the-field moves but the covering, shadowing and tackling of the Galway players, in all sectors, kept scoring damage to a minimum. In their own attacking play, Galway were vastly superior. They too moved the ball at speed but they got it to their full-forward line by a much more direct route, and from anywhere inside 30-to-40 metres range Galway men were prepared to shoot for points. In the first half, in particular, it was spectacular and a joy to watch: Cathal Mulryan and Ian Burke both hit points from play right-footed and left-footed; Adrian Varley, who was out from full-forward in front of the Cork captain Damien Cahalane every time, scored a magnificent long-range point from play, and the Cork backs conceded three frees which Shane Walsh expertly pointed. On a cold, wet evening it was highly significant that Galway led by four points at half-time, 0-9 to 0-5. Having hit six points from play in the Connacht final against Roscommon and set up the two Galway goals against Kildare in the All-Ireland semi-final, Ian Burke could have expected to be double-marked in the final but, astonishingly, it was clear from the start that Cork had not done their homework on the Galway full-forward line. As could be taken for granted, Shane Walsh, selected by Galway at No. 13, was not confined to the right corner, so Adrian Varley and Ian Burke found themselves getting a superb supply of possession and they had only a two-man Cork full-back line in opposition to them. On top of that, Galway were winning the aerial battle at midfield, mainly through the high-fielding expertise of their inspirational captain Fiontán Ó Curraoin, well supported by Thomas Flynn and the wonderfully hard-working Damien Comer. After the game, it was confirmed by Galwayâ€â„¢s statisticsâ€â„¢ team that Fiontán Ó Curraoin dominated all around him on â€Ëœcleanâ€â„¢ catches. In broken play too, Galway again got a huge contribution from right half-forward Cathal Mulryan whose high workrate was complemented by three great points from play and one fantastic blockdown back in front of his own goal, while his Cortoon clubmate Paul Varley played brilliantly going in the opposite direction, supporting his forwards. Galway were always doing enough to win, even after Cork cut a nine-point deficit to three. This final produced two stunning goals, of the highest quality. Playing into the Ennis road end of the Gaelic Grounds, Galway struck first in the 10th minute of the second half: Damien Comer the scorer, powerfully finishing off a move involving Shane Walsh, Fiontan O Curraoin, Cathal Mulryan and Adrian Varley. Corkâ€â„¢s reply came when full-forward Brian Hurley, their best player, very skilfully made room for himself before shooting a brilliantly taken goal from close range. It said a lot for Galway full-back James Shaughnessy that he restricted his highly rated direct opponent Hurley to one goal, while all of the backs also did very well, with Paul Varley outstanding, especially in the second half, Mark Loughnane playing a very intelligent game, Daithí Burke strong and forceful, and Eoin Walsh and David Cunnane excellent from start to finish. Goalkeeper Tom Healy, who had a splendid campaign, took a knock late in the game and was replaced by his first cousin James Healy, who is only 18 and still in secondary school at St Jarlathâ€â„¢s, Tuam. It was a daunting prospect for James, going in as the last line of defence in a high-pressure finish to an All-Ireland final, but he responded courageously to the call and twice excelled in denying Cork the goal that would have forced extra-time. The official Man of the Match award, sponsored by Cadburyâ€â„¢s, went to Galway captain Fiontán Ó Curraoin and it was a very popular choice, with general agreement all around the Gaelic Grounds late into the evening that Galway wing-forwards Cathal Mulryan and Damien Comer were also leading contenders for the top individual accolade, closely followed by Ian Burke and the Varley twins. LOOKING to the immediate future, itâ€â„¢ll be interesting to see if Galway senior team manager Alan Mulholland and fellow-selectors Alan Flynn and Donal Ó Fatharta give the midfield anchor-man role to Fiontán Ó Curraoin for the Connacht S.F.C. clash with Mayo at Pearse Stadium, Salthill on Sunday week, May 19th. Three other members of the U-21 team are in the senior panel but itâ€â„¢s not certain that goalkeeper Tom Healy, midfielder or wing-forward Thomas Flynn and star striker Shane Walsh will be starting against Mayo. Itâ€â„¢ll be one or two starting, I feel, and perhaps a third off the bench. Thatâ€â„¢s for the senior team management to decide and theyâ€â„¢ve already said publicly (since Saturday night) that they wonâ€â„¢t be rushing the U-21s into the premier grade. Undoubtedly, thatâ€â„¢s sensible: 19 of the 33-strong U-21 panel are young enough for the grade again next year and Damien Comer, the â€Å“findâ€Â of the campaign, has two years left in U-21 football. It was great to have been in Limerick for this final; the atmosphere was fantastic; Galway manager Alan Flynn and his two main helpers, Paul Clancy and Declan Meehan, did a brilliant job and the players, all 33 of them, were magnificent in all five matches and they got their due reward. The Galway supporters were great, too. Definitely, it was a night to have been there! Scorers for Galway: S. Walsh 0-4 (all frees); I. Burke 0-4; D. Comer 1-0; C. Mulryan 0-3; A. Varley, P. Varley, D. Cunnane 0-1 each. Scorers for Cork: B Hurley 1-4 (0-1 free); D. MacEoin 0-3; D. Cahalane 0-1 (a 45); A. Cadogan, J. Wall, C. Vaughan 0-1 each. Galway: Thomas Healy (Corofin); Eoin Walsh (Moycullen), James Shaughnessy (Ballinasloe), David Cunnane (St Michaelâ€â„¢s); Mark Loughnane (St Gabrielâ€â„¢s), Daithí Burke (Corofin), Paul Varley (Cortoon Shamrocks); Thomas Flynn (Athenry), Fiontán Ó Curraoin, captain (Cumann Peil Mícheál Breathnach); Cathal Mulryan (Cortoon Shamrocks), Seán Moran (Claregalway), Damien Comer (Annaghdown); Shane Walsh (Kilkerrin-Clonberne), Adrian Varley (Cortoon Shamrocks), Ian Burke (Corofin). Subs., Conor Rabbitte (Kilkerrin-Clonberne), for Moran, 47 mins; James Healy (Annaghdown), for Tom Healy, inj., 50 mins; Philip Ezergailis (Moycullen), for Cunnane, 54 mins; Garry Kelly (Williamstown), for Ian Burke, 59 mins; Shane Maughan (St Michaelâ€â„¢s) for A. Varley, 59 mins. Cork: D. Hanrahan (Douglas); C. Dorman (Bishopstown), D. Cahalane, captain (Castlehaven), A. Cronin (Nemo Rangers); B. Oâ€â„¢Driscoll (Cumann Peil Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh), T. Clancy (Clonakilty), J. Wall (Kilbrittain); S. Kiely (Ballincollig), I. Maguire (St Finbarrâ€â„¢s); A. Cadogan (Douglas), M. Sugrue (Bandon), J. Oâ€â„¢Rourke (Carbery Rangers); D. MacEoin (Ilen Rovers), B. Hurley (Castlehaven), L. Connolly (Nemo Rangers). Subs., J. Burns (St Finbarrâ€â„¢s), for Kiely, 36 mins; C. Vaughan (Iveleary), for Sugrue, 39 mins; TJ Brosnan (Newmarket), for Wall, 43 mins; K. Hallisey (Éire Óg), for Cadogan, 57 mins. Referee: David Gough (Meath). Herald Sport Man of the Match: Fiontán Ó Curraoin (Galway).