Menlough will be among the leading contenders

By JIM CARNEY Menlough .2-12 Oranmore-Maree .0-10 IT'S too early to pick a â€Ëœbest bet' for Galway Intermediate Football Championship glory but Menlough will fancy their chances of a good run, on the evidence of a very impressive display against Oranmore-Maree at Páirc an Chreagáin, Mountbellew on Saturday evening. To the losers' great credit, they made a good, entertaining match of it all the way but having conceded a goal early on â€â€ superbly created and finished by the Menlough left half-back Joey Glynn â€â€ Oranmore-Maree were playing catch-up and they couldn't get close enough to cause an upset. There was never any doubt about the outcome. Menlough were my tip to win the I.F.C. last year and after losing to Kilconly [private] I.F.C. quarter-finals (0-11 to 0-9) they had the consolation of seeing their conquerors win it out. It was marvellous that Kilconly showed last weekend in their S.F.C. defeat of Naomh Anna, Leitir Móir that last year's I.F.C. form could stand up to stiffer tests. And interesting, too, that Menlough were capable of moving their score from 0-9 in that game against Kilconly to a much more convincing 2-12 last weekend, despite missing the influence of the consistently excellent David Reilly for three-quarters of this game (injured). The star of the show was the winners' flying left half-back Joey Glynn. A brilliant hurler for Skehana (the 'small ball' wing of the parish), Joey usually lets the ball do the work in hurling, hitting long-range points from all over the field, but in football he likes to bring the ball with him when dashing upfield and, as Oranmore-Maree found out here, he can be un-markable. For a wing-back to score 1-3 from play was superb; indeed his overall performance was of the highest standard in terms of individual excellence, and at the same time he was always striving to play for the team and pass to well-placed colleagues. There was nothing Oranmore-Maree could do about it and by half-time Menlough were leading 1-5 to 0-5. Ironically, in view of the point I've just made about Joey Glynn playing for the team, Menlough would've had more than 1-5 on the scoreboard by then if, twice, forwards in possession had passed the ball to team-mates betted placed to put it over the crossbar. In both cases, the man on the ball took it into trouble and the moves broke down. For Oranmore-Maree, their experienced captain Conor Leyden, a very good player, landed two huge frees from well out the field; there was a point apiece from play by Alan Barrett, David Eignor and Jonny Kelliher, and Noel Qualter was a solid anchor man at centre half-back. Menlough stayed strong and assured in all sectors in the second half, having been inspired by the Joey Glynn goal and two magnificent saves by goalkeeper Jason O'Neill. Robert Hughes and Mark Costello were on top at midfield; Brendan Costello waited patiently up front for his goal chance and when it came he took it very well, while all of the backs really did their stuff when Oranmore-Maree, who were gallant in defeat, tried everything they could to keep the game alive. Good use of the bench, too, by the Menlough management team of Pat Carty, John Hughes and Leo Molloy. And trainer Edel Concannon, the Galway Ladies Football star, had her charges very fit and sharp. Menlough: J. O'Neill; P. Quirke, S. Lawless, B. Laheen; D. Reilly, C. Lucey, J. Glynn (1-3); R. Hughes (0-4, three frees), M. Costello (0-1); N. Carty, H. Keeley (0-1), D. Costello; B. Costello (1-0), K. Reilly, C. Hughes (0-1). Subs., P. Kelly (0-2), for Keeley; T. Mannion, for D. Reilly, inj., C. Jackson, for C. Hughes. Oranmore-Maree: D. Greene; D. Fanning, P. Stenson, D. Burke; C. Leyden (0-2, frees), P. Qualter, C. Dunne; S. Geoghegan (0-1), C. Allen; A. Barrett (0-1), D. Eignor (0-3), B. Cannon; S. McInerney, D. Devlin, J. Kelliher (0-3). Subs., S. Dunne, for McInerney; J. Costello, for Cannon; A. O'Connell, for Geoghegan. Referee: Gerry Cahill. Herald Sport Man of the Match: Joey Glynn (Menlough). [/private]