GALWAY’S 1998 SAM Maguire winning side celebrated the 20th anniversary of their All-Ireland success recently.
Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
It was a special year for Galway football and John O’Mahony’s side are regarded as one of the most swashbuckling All-Ireland champions of recent decades.
What’s often lost in the annals of history is just how close Roscommon came to beating the Tribesmen in that summer’s Connacht decider.
Galway were warm favourites heading into the final after they dumped out reigning champions Mayo, who reached the previous two All-Ireland deciders, in the quarter-final.
They had 14 points to spare over Leitrim in the semi-final, while Roscommon needed a replay to slip past Sligo by a one-point margin.
A late Niall Finnegan free saved Galway’s season to deny a spirited Roscommon fightback and sent the tie to a replay.
Galway weren’t playing particularly well but looked relatively comfortable when they found themselves leading by four points in the early stages of the second-half with a strong breeze at their backs.
Roscommon were reduced to 14 men on 50 minutes when substitute Jason Neary was dismissed for a late hit on Jarlath Fallon, but they forced their way back in front by stoppage-time through the excellent dead ball shooting of Eddie Lohan.
In the dying moments, the Tribesmen were awarded a soft free and Finnegan converted his chance to avoid defeat.
Keith Heneghan / INPHO
Keith Heneghan / INPHO / INPHO
Pat Comer’s film ‘A Year ‘Til Sunday’ captured O’Mahony’s speech to the players in the dressing room afterwards.
“Now, obviously, obviously in the last fortnight some of ye believed some of the sh*te that was being talked outside,” he said.
“It’s as simple as that. No game is ever won until its won. Ye are a great team, but it’s Galway and it’s each one of ye individually that has to show that. Once you stop showing that, you’re gone.
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“This extra game we have is going to be the making of us, but we having to f*cking win it. It’s the gateway to the All-Ireland semi-final, it’s as simple as that.”
Sean Og De Paor and Don Connellan Keith Heneghan / INPHO
Keith Heneghan / INPHO / INPHO
Galway 1-17 Roscommon 0-17
It took over 100 minutes of dramatic action, but Galway were eventually crowned Connacht champions in front of 25,000 at Dr Hyde Park thanks to Michael Donnellan’s extra-time goal.
There was more than a touch of fortune to Donnellan’s winner, which arrived after Shay Fahy dispossessed Roscommon goalkeeper Derek Thompson and the ball dropped invitingly for the centre-forward to smash home.
A late Eddie Lohan free sent the game to extra-time after the sides finished level at 0-11 apiece once again after 70 minutes.
Sean O'Domhnaill and Tom Ryan contest a high ball Keith Heneghan / INPHO
Keith Heneghan / INPHO / INPHO
Galway were left to rue 13 wides in normal time but 0-3 from Fallon and a brace from wing-back Sean Og De Paor kept the scoreboard ticking over, as Lohan and Nigel Dineen did for the Rossies.
Kevin Walsh limped off with cramp in the second period of extra-time and Donnellan’s three-pointer proved the difference.
“Ye died out there for each other out there,” a thrilled O’Mahony said in the dressing room afterwards. “I saw friends out there on the field falling for each other and putting heads in for your friends.
“Realise what’s happening here. In 50 years time ye’ll be talking to each other about this situation,” he added rather prophetically.
“And that’s hugely important because there’s not much more reward you can get from that kind of thing. All I’ll say to you is in the long-term plan of things ye are only starting, but ye had to show and ye’ve stuffed the ‘nice team’ and ‘fancy Dans’ and the whole lot down people’s throats out there today.”
Ray Silke celebrates with the Connacht title Keith Heneghan / INPHO
Keith Heneghan / INPHO / INPHO
Scorers for Galway: Michael Donnellan 1-3 (0-1f, 0-1 45), Jarlath Fallon 0-5, Derek Savage 0-3, Sean Og de Paor 0-2, Niall Finnegan 0-2 (0-1f), Padraig Joyce 0-1 (0-1f), Shay Walsh 0-1.
Scorers for Roscommon: Eddie Lohan 0-8 (0-7f), Nigel Dineen 0-3, Fergal O’Donnell 0-2, Tommy Grehan 0-2, Lorcan Dowd (0-1)
Galway
Martin McNamara
Tomas Meehan
Gary Fahy
Tomas Mannion
Ray Silke
John Divilly
Sean Og de PaorKevin Walsh
Sean O’Domhnaill
Jarlath Fallon
Michael Donnellan
Tommy Joyce
Derek Savage
Padraig Joyce
Niall Finnegan
Subs:
Damien Mitchell for Divilly (31)
Shay Walsh (0-1) for T Joyce (59)
Fergal Gavin for K Walsh (90)
Roscommon
D Thompson
D Gavin
D Donlon
E Gavin
C Heneghan
C McDonald
M Ryan
G Keane
T Ryan
D Connellan
F O’Donnell (0-2)
E Lohan (0-8)
T Grehan (0-2)
N Dineen (0-3)
L Dowd (0-1)
Subs:
D Duggan for Grehan (65)
V Glennon (0-1) for T Ryan (80)
T Grehan for Duggan (90)
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Galway's Connacht final saga against Rossies when they 'stuffed the Fancy Dans tag down people's throats'
GALWAY’S 1998 SAM Maguire winning side celebrated the 20th anniversary of their All-Ireland success recently.
It was a special year for Galway football and John O’Mahony’s side are regarded as one of the most swashbuckling All-Ireland champions of recent decades.
What’s often lost in the annals of history is just how close Roscommon came to beating the Tribesmen in that summer’s Connacht decider.
Galway were warm favourites heading into the final after they dumped out reigning champions Mayo, who reached the previous two All-Ireland deciders, in the quarter-final.
They had 14 points to spare over Leitrim in the semi-final, while Roscommon needed a replay to slip past Sligo by a one-point margin.
Galway 0-11 Roscommon 0-11
A late Niall Finnegan free saved Galway’s season to deny a spirited Roscommon fightback and sent the tie to a replay.
Galway weren’t playing particularly well but looked relatively comfortable when they found themselves leading by four points in the early stages of the second-half with a strong breeze at their backs.
Roscommon were reduced to 14 men on 50 minutes when substitute Jason Neary was dismissed for a late hit on Jarlath Fallon, but they forced their way back in front by stoppage-time through the excellent dead ball shooting of Eddie Lohan.
In the dying moments, the Tribesmen were awarded a soft free and Finnegan converted his chance to avoid defeat.
Pat Comer’s film ‘A Year ‘Til Sunday’ captured O’Mahony’s speech to the players in the dressing room afterwards.
“Now, obviously, obviously in the last fortnight some of ye believed some of the sh*te that was being talked outside,” he said.
“This extra game we have is going to be the making of us, but we having to f*cking win it. It’s the gateway to the All-Ireland semi-final, it’s as simple as that.”
Galway 1-17 Roscommon 0-17
It took over 100 minutes of dramatic action, but Galway were eventually crowned Connacht champions in front of 25,000 at Dr Hyde Park thanks to Michael Donnellan’s extra-time goal.
There was more than a touch of fortune to Donnellan’s winner, which arrived after Shay Fahy dispossessed Roscommon goalkeeper Derek Thompson and the ball dropped invitingly for the centre-forward to smash home.
A late Eddie Lohan free sent the game to extra-time after the sides finished level at 0-11 apiece once again after 70 minutes.
Galway were left to rue 13 wides in normal time but 0-3 from Fallon and a brace from wing-back Sean Og De Paor kept the scoreboard ticking over, as Lohan and Nigel Dineen did for the Rossies.
Kevin Walsh limped off with cramp in the second period of extra-time and Donnellan’s three-pointer proved the difference.
“Ye died out there for each other out there,” a thrilled O’Mahony said in the dressing room afterwards. “I saw friends out there on the field falling for each other and putting heads in for your friends.
“And that’s hugely important because there’s not much more reward you can get from that kind of thing. All I’ll say to you is in the long-term plan of things ye are only starting, but ye had to show and ye’ve stuffed the ‘nice team’ and ‘fancy Dans’ and the whole lot down people’s throats out there today.”
Scorers for Galway: Michael Donnellan 1-3 (0-1f, 0-1 45), Jarlath Fallon 0-5, Derek Savage 0-3, Sean Og de Paor 0-2, Niall Finnegan 0-2 (0-1f), Padraig Joyce 0-1 (0-1f), Shay Walsh 0-1.
Scorers for Roscommon: Eddie Lohan 0-8 (0-7f), Nigel Dineen 0-3, Fergal O’Donnell 0-2, Tommy Grehan 0-2, Lorcan Dowd (0-1)
Galway
Martin McNamara
Tomas Meehan
Gary Fahy
Tomas Mannion
Ray Silke
John Divilly
Sean Og de PaorKevin Walsh
Sean O’Domhnaill
Jarlath Fallon
Michael Donnellan
Tommy Joyce
Derek Savage
Padraig Joyce
Niall Finnegan
Subs:
Damien Mitchell for Divilly (31)
Shay Walsh (0-1) for T Joyce (59)
Fergal Gavin for K Walsh (90)
Roscommon
D Thompson
D Gavin
D Donlon
E Gavin
C Heneghan
C McDonald
M Ryan
G Keane
T Ryan
D Connellan
F O’Donnell (0-2)
E Lohan (0-8)
T Grehan (0-2)
N Dineen (0-3)
L Dowd (0-1)
Subs:
D Duggan for Grehan (65)
V Glennon (0-1) for T Ryan (80)
T Grehan for Duggan (90)
Referee: S Prior (Leitrim)
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flashback friday GAA Roscommon