Sligo v Galway Saturday 21st June (SkySports 7pm)

rebel girl 15

Connacht semi final sees Sligo and Galway take each other on in Markievicz Park for the right to meet Mayo in the Connacht senior football final of 2014.

buck65

Game of the year I'd say. Sky really have picked the best games.

RoscommonTom

Should be a good close game alright, I think the sligos could do it by a point or 2,

Diabhal Beag

Aye couldn't call it myself. Better Galway teams have been beaten by Sligo before and although there's a young side breaking through I'd fear the loss of Sice, who was monumental against Armagh and Cork last season.

blowitupref

Sligo team named

A Devaney; R Donovan, J Martyn, N Ewing; C Harrison, A McIntyre, K Cawley; J Kilcullen, S McManus; D Rooney, M Breheny, B Egan; P Hughes, A Marren, D Kelly

mjp

blowitupref wrote: »

Sligo team named

A Devaney; R Donovan, J Martyn, N Ewing; C Harrison, A McIntyre, K Cawley; J Kilcullen, S McManus; D Rooney, M Breheny, B Egan; P Hughes, A Marren, D Kelly

I hear sligo not going too well recently and got a bad beating off meath in a recent challenge match. Due to play Tipperary last weekend. Anyone know how they went?

Western Pomise

Would it be time enough to get tickets on the day at gate for game?

threeball

Western Pomise wrote: »

Would it be time enough to get tickets on the day at gate for game?

I'd say you could buy half the stand on the day. Couldn't see much more than 7-8000 at this game.

Diabhal Beag

Aye Connacht games don't do very well. Just maybe get there early on the day to beat the last minute queues for tickets.

Syferus

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Aye Connacht games don't do very well. Just maybe get there early on the day to beat the last minute queues for tickets.

Eh? Per capita and even in raw attendances the average Connacht game is very well attended.

padd b1975

Syferus wrote: »

Eh? Per capita and even in raw attendances the average Connacht game is very well attended.

Per capita does not even come into it, round by round numbers would be way better than Munster and Leinster if you discount Dublin's figures.

Dirty Dingus McGee

Connacht matches tend to get good crowds although Galway's matches always seem to get less than you would expect from such a big county.

I think there was close to ten thousand at a match a couple of years ago between Leitrim and Roscommon which was a huge crowd

Lapin

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

Connacht matches tend to get good crowds although Galway's matches always seem to get less than you would expect from such a big county.

We have a hurling team to support as well though.

For many it's a choice between going to Sligo this evening or making the trip to Tullamore tomorrow.

Dirty Dingus McGee

Lapin wrote: »

We have a hurling team to support as well though.

For many it's a choice between going to Sligo this evening or making the trip to Tullamore tomorrow.

Isn't Galway a bit like Offaly in that the football and hurling supporters will invariably come from distinct areas within the county and there isn't huge crossover between both codes.

The support for the Galway hurlers is fairly poor as well. Galway just never seem to bring as big a crowd as they should based on the big population the county has.

threeball

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

Isn't Galway a bit like Offaly in that the football and hurling supporters will invariably come from distinct areas within the county and there isn't huge crossover between both codes.

The support for the Galway hurlers is fairly poor as well. Galway just never seem to bring as big a crowd as they should based on the big population the county has.

To a point but you also have to realise that from someone to travel from Clifden to Sligo today would entail an 8hr round trip so theres a big part of the population that won't make the commitment for the smaller games

threeball

Cork footballers are poorly supported for the same reason. Vast distances to travel on not great roads.

TCDStudent1

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

Isn't Galway a bit like Offaly in that the football and hurling supporters will invariably come from distinct areas within the county and there isn't huge crossover between both codes.

The support for the Galway hurlers is fairly poor as well. Galway just never seem to bring as big a crowd as they should based on the big population the county has.

North Galway = Football (West of the corrib is nearly all football too)

South Galway = Hurling

is a rough way to look at it. But even with that, Galway have a much poorer support than they should.

Lapin

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

Isn't Galway a bit like Offaly in that the football and hurling supporters will invariably come from distinct areas within the county and there isn't huge crossover between both codes.

The support for the Galway hurlers is fairly poor as well. Galway just never seem to bring as big a crowd as they should based on the big population the county has.

South of the railway from Ballinasloe to Galway city is mainly hurling with football more dominant north of the line and west of the city, roughly speaking.
While there are some hurling fans who couldn't care about football and vice versa, I reckon most people in the county follow both codes.

I reckon having two teams to support, and the distances are factors, but I do agree that Galway teams are not as well supported as they should be.

It's annoying enough at this time of year but really pisses me off come September when we do make it to the odd All Ireland final.

Suddenly the 'fans' are all out of the woodwork screaming for tickets.

Sligo off to a good start here.

Are there any pitch markings at all. They look very faint.

Utopia Parkway

James Kavanagh out for Galway. Failed a late fitness test. Galway down quite a few experienced players now.

WesternZulu

Lapin wrote: »

We have a hurling team to support as well though.

To be honest Galway are terribly supported for both codes.

Utopia Parkway

WesternZulu wrote: »

To be honest Galway are terribly supported for both codes.

The hurlers have been getting decent crowds over the past 5 years or so.

The casual football fan has deserted the footballers after so many bad and close defeats. Probably need a few wins to get them back.

Boom__Boom

Good 2 points for Sligo to get before HT.

Decent game of ball.

Dirty Dingus McGee

HT

Galway 0-9 Sligo 0-8

Enjoyable first half some good scores kicked by both sides.Shane Walsh has been impressive for Galway as have their midfield and full forward lines. Sligo's forward line have been a little wasteful.Tom Flynn provided some nice passes for some of Galways score he seems to be developing nicely as a footballer as I thought he was going to turn out to be a purely fielding midfielder but he looks a decent footballer as well.Mark Breheny needs to get into the game for Sligo he is a very good playmaker but I think he's only touched the ball 3 or 4 times in the first half.

Utopia Parkway

Bradshaw makes so many bad decisions coming out of defence. Guaranteed to gift possession away 2 or 3 times a game.

Boom__Boom

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Bradshaw makes so many bad decisions coming out of defence. Guaranteed to gift possession away 2 or 3 times a game.

That effort that almost led to a goal was carcrash stuff.

Utopia Parkway

Galway completely on top in midfield but still only a point or two ahead.

Lapin

Less of the slow motion headshots of the crowd please Sky.

There's a game on.

Utopia Parkway

Shane Walsh is ridiculously skillful. Reminds me of Ciaran McDonald in terms of style.

Boom__Boom

Lapin wrote: »

Less of the slow motion headshots of the crowd please Sky.

There's a game on.

Stll nowhere near as bad as BBC NI

I'm liking the stats popping up.

Daroxtar

MacManus and Kilcullen really needs to start catching balls in the middle for sligo.

Edit: Macmanus off, lets see what the young O Donnell lad is like

Lapin

Lovely point by Cummins there.

Dirty Dingus McGee

Sligo have been poor in the second half. Galway look to have improved a good but there seems to be more drive and intensity to their play. Should make for a good Connacht final.

Lapin

Not the greatest introduction to the game for them out foreign watching Sky Sports.

Mayo won't be quaking in their boots although they didn't exactly set the world on fire against Roscommon themselves.

Daroxtar

Sligo kicked far too many wides and far too many aimless high kickouts for Galways superior midfield. Our midfield were very poor.
Kelly and Marren in particular were just shooting without taking aim. Hard to take many positives from that going into the qualifiers. Well done Galway though, they did a great job of shutting off supply to our forwards in the 2nd half.

Hulk Hands

Anyone know who got motm? On Walsh at 10s

Utopia Parkway

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Anyone know who got motm? On Walsh at 10s

O'Curraoin.

Lapin

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Anyone know who got motm? On Walsh at 10s

Galway midfielder Fiontán Ó'Curraoin.

Hulk Hands

Cheers. Can't argue with that I supppose,thought our midfield was excellent again and they're starting to get cute in their play

sgthighway

Did you here the Interview with Fiontán Ó'Curraoin afterwards? She referred to his home club been Managed by Sligo Man Kevin Walsh

Hulk Hands

sgthighway wrote: »

Did you here the Interview with Fiontán Ó'Curraoin afterwards? She referred to his home club been Managed by Sligo Man Kevin Walsh

Sligo man? She messed up did she?

Pocaide

Decent enough performance, Mulholland will be happy enough as firstly they won the match but there are aspects of Galway's play that need to be improved on.

Lapin

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Sligo man? She messed up did she?

Big time.

Kevin Walsh has two All Ireland medals for Galway.

I think her confusion stems from the fact that he managed Sligo.

Utopia Parkway

Pocaide wrote: »

Decent enough performance, Mulholland will be happy enough as firstly they won the match but there are aspects of Galway's play that need to be improved on.

Last 15 minutes they got very casual and loose. Should have kicked another 4 or 5 points in that spell.

Say Your Number

I thought Sligo were the better team in the 1st half and should have gone in 3/4 points up at half but for some dreadful wides, a few awful kick outs at the start of the 2nd half handed Galway a few easy scores and that effectively ended the tie, I dread to think what Mayo would've done to us if we got them instead, for Sligo I'd be glad if we win one match this year, I can't see Galway giving Mayo much trouble in the final.

Lapin

John Mulholland ‏@JohnMulhollands 5m
Updated Connacht football betting: Mayo 1/7, Galway 9/2 #mayogaa #gaa @TribesmenGAA @MayoGAABlog



I'll have a peice of that at 9/2.

Crazy odds in a two horse race.

Diabhal Beag

It was a match that never really got going in terms of entertainment but great to beat the Sligo curse with a reasonably comfortable win. Walsh and O'Curraoin barely put a foot wrong and I felt Lundy and Hoare had fairly strong showings.

FOC was very good and won about 5 clean kickouts and was dominating whereas Flynn had a quiet day by his high standards.

At the back Bradshaw was a disaster. Dispossessed twice that really should have resulted in goals for Sligo if they had an eye for goal. Thought Tierney was fairly impressive too. I know he gets a lot of criticism on here but Hanley just bossed the FB line and caught one of the Sligo boys out twice within 5 minutes.

Utopia Parkway

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

FOC was very good and won about 5 clean kickouts and was dominating whereas Flynn had a quiet day by his high standards.

At the back Bradshaw was a disaster. Dispossessed twice that really should have resulted in goals for Sligo if they had an eye for goal. Thought Tierney was fairly impressive too. I know he gets a lot of criticism on here but Hanley just bossed the FB line and caught one of the Sligo boys out twice within 5 minutes.

I think FOC actually won 8 clean kickouts. He is very good in the air but Mayo won't allow him the the same dominance.

Flynn doesn't catch as much ball but he is the more mobile, athletic player who gets up and down the field. They have a great chemistry together.

Bradshaw apparently got on more ball than any Galway player but he makes some awful decisions coming out of defence at times. Coughed up the ball a few times and Sligo almost scored 1-1 from it.

wp_rathead

First half enjoyable - second half Galway dominated midfield and Sligo didn't get going at all. Even then there was a worryingly amount of wides from Galway.. Wides we can't afford if we to have any chance of being competitive against Mayo..