Galway 3-27
Westmeath 0-20
John Fallon reports at Duggan Park, Ballinasloe
GALWAY GOT THEIR 2023 campaign up and running when an understrength side still had too much firepower for Westmeath in a good Walsh Cup workout for both sides at Duggan Park in Ballinasloe.
The final scoreline was harsh on a battling Westmeath side but Galway had more options in attack and a much great spread of scorers.
The two free-takers were in superb form with Evan Niland finishing with 0-17 for Galway, while Killian Doyle landed 0-12 for Westmeath.
The sides were level six times during the opening half but Galway struck for the opening goal to lead by 1-11 to 0-11 at the end of an entertaining opening half.
Doyle struck 0-8 for Westmeath in that opening half, seven of them from frees, as he continued the form which earned him an All Star nominee last year.
Galway, fielding just a handful of last year’s championship team, had seven different scorers in the opening half with their hardest working forward Conor Whelan, skippering the side for this clash, the only member of the attack not to score before the break.
But the Kinvara man was involved in setting up several scores, including the goal which edged them ahead at the break when soloed through and debutant Martin McManus from Loughrea supplied a sublime finish.
Westmeath failed to make a couple of goal chances count, with Galway creating the space to pick off points from play.
Galway got on top after the restart with Niland continuing to shoot points from placed balls before McManus got in for his second goal to open up a 2-16 to 0-13 lead after 46 minutes.
Doyle continued to respond but they never looked like getting the goal they needed to mount a comeback.
And it was Galway who finished strongly with Mark Kennedy getting their third goal three minutes from time to seal an impressive win.
Scorers for Galway: Evan Niland 0-17 (0-14f, 0-2 ‘65s), Martin McManus 2-1, Donal O’Shea 0-3, Mark Kennedy 1-0, Adrian Tuohey 0-2, Gearoid McInerney 0-1, Sean Linnane 0-1, John Cooney 0-1, Conor Whelan 0-1, Declan McLoughlin 0-1.
Scorers for Westmeath: Killian Doyle 0-12 (0-10f, 0-1 ’65), Niall O’Brian 0-2, Mark Cunningham 0-1, Shane McGovern 0-1, Joey Boyle 0-1, Eoin Keyes 0-1, Rian Holding 0-1, Jack Gallagher 0-1.
Galway:
1 Darach Fahy (Ardrahan)
2 Jack Fitzpatrick (Killimordaly)
3 Gearoid McInerney (Oranmore/Maree)
4 Eoin Lawless (Athenry)
5 Shane Ryan (Clarinbridge)
6 Adrian Tuohey (Beagh)
7 TJ Brennan (Claribridge)
8 Ronan Murphy (Tommy Larkins)
9 Sean Linnane (Turloughmore)
10 John Cooney (Sarsfields)
11 Conor Whelan (Kinvara)
12 Donal O’Shea (Salthill/Knocknacarra)
13 Evan Niland (Clarinbridge)
14 Martin McManus (Loughrea)
15 Declan McLoughlin (Portumna)
Substitutes:
23 Tiernan Killeen (Loughrea) for Ryan (45)
21 Mark Kennedy (Clarinbridge) for Whelan (49)
19 Sean O’Hanlon (Turloughmore) for Lawless (59)
20 Kevin Hanney (Killimor) for Cooney (61)
Westmeath:
1 Noel Conaty (Lough Lene Gaels)
2 Darragh Egerton (Clonkill)
4 Conor Shaw (Brownstown)
5 Jack Galvin (Cullion)
10 Kevin Regan (Cullion)
7 Shane Clavin (Castletown Geoghegan)
6 Peadar Scally (Clonkill)
8 Mark Cunningham (Ringtown)
9 Shane McGovern (Crookewood)
13 Niall O’Brien (Castletown Geoghegan)
11 Killian Doyle (Raharney)
12 Joey Boyle (Raharney)
22 Shane Williams (Lough Lene Gaels)
14 Niall Mitchell (Clonkill)
15 David Williams (Lough Lene Gaels)
Substitutes:
17 Aaron Craig (St Oliver Plunketts) for Scally (half-time)
27 Rian Holding (Clonkill) for Galvin (46)
23 Eoin Keyes (Raharney) for D Williams (47)
21 Peter Clarke (Castletown Geoghegan) for S Williams (49)
19 Plunkett Maxwell (Castletown Geoghegan) for Cunningham (55)
20 Eamon Cuneen (Raharney) for McGovern (60)
25 Eoin Daly (Lough Lene Gaels) for Boyle (60)
24 David Devine (Castlepollard) for Doyle (63)
18 Conor Gaffney (Castlepollard) for Egerton (63)
26 Jack Gallagher (Castletown Geoghegan) for O’Brien (65)
Referee: Richie Fitzsimons (Offaly).
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Looking forward to Donegal V Kerry. Doing my own pole so please let me know who you think will win.
Green thumbs up if you believe Donegal will win & red thumbs down if you think Kerry will win.
What should we do if we know you can’t spell ‘poll’?
Donegal is a really fit team they will give Kerry a run for their money
Anyone but Dublin!!!!!
Anyone but culchies Johnboy!!
I think John might be a bot. He posts the same message on every GAA thread.
Hey ‘John’, what county are you from?
Dubs over confident as usual, then they wonder why their so disliked???
With a draw like that, I’d be plenty confident myself, of a final spot if nothing else!
Mark
That is the reason I dont want them to win their fans are so arrogant.
When your all ireland champions, you can afford to be confident
Oh yeah and what about Popcorns comment Mayo for Sam? So if you’re from Dublin it’s arrogant but anywhere else in the thirty two it’s what? Hope?
We’re disliked because we’re confident? I can live with that! Áth Cliath Abú!!
That’s funnyMmr Deane with your Leinster rugby sign… That’s what our Munster rugby fans thought of Leinster for years until some culchies got into the ranks .
Dublin fans like being unliked. We strive for it.. Its more fun rubbing our success in people’s faces when they clearly don’t like us. Hon the County.
Donegal will have to beat Kerry, Cork and Dublin to win the All Ireland this year …………. and they will. Sam is for the hills.
You’re for the hills Joe with that analysis!!!
Very unlikely, Joe.
Nice run to the final for the dubs. Dublin v Donegal final.
Kerry v Donegal the game of the quarters old v new.
Up Kerry.
Cork, Laois, Kerry Mayo. Hard to see anyone beating Kerry now and will be great to see Dublin lose to Laois. Although a complete hammering by one of the big teams in the semis might be more fun.
Dublin lose to Laois? In yer dreams kid! And your analysis of Kerry? They scraped past Westmeath, bet a poor Tyrone team and hammered that great footballing county, Clare!!! Dublin v Cork final.
Mayo for Sam.
Well said Popcorn!
Mayo for popcorn, Kerry Donegal is mouthwatering.
The semi final line up will be Dublin, Donegal, Mayo & Kildare.
There are no “easy games” from now on.
Laois is an easy game
We’re gonna kill Laois! Up the Dubs!
Laois absolutely dominated a mediocre Meath side today.
Dublin , Kerry , Cork and Mayo in the semi finals me reckons!!!!
I think Dublin are the strongest from that side of the draw. The other side is a hard call. Kerry cork donegal Kildare. any of the 4
Anyone but the animals !
But Meath were knocked out today? ;-)
Don’t be drinking the animal juice then.n
Mayo for Sam-wiches!
I’ll give ya that one Clive :0)
We are all being unfair to the Dubs and. not recognising the dis-advantages their team has to try and win All Ireland titles. They only have a population of over 1 million to pick from, they are forced by the GAA to play ALL their championship games at home, their supporters have only to travel a few minutes to see their games and last year they only had a budget of 2 million euro to prepare their county teams. So be fair and give them a chance. Sam for the over populated hills in 2012.
The culchies won’t be happy when we win again. The Decade of The Dubs…available in all good book shops in 2020!!!
Fiction section, of course.
The decade of the Dubs sounds sweet as. These clowns don’t realise that if our young players didn’t bottle it against the Corkies, we would be going for three in a row.
Rather be a Dub for a day, than a culchie for a lifetime.
Hill 16.
And if your grandmother had balls, she’d be your grandfather!
Just a quick low down on the dubs for ye there lads don’t ye run away with yourselves. Dublin beat a piss poor Kerry performance by the skin of their teeth last year. Dublin have no naturally gited footballers other than the Brogans and that is evident in that the second they drop the intensity they fall apart. We could all say if’s and but’s but unfortunately for Dublin the history books don’t accept those words as results! So, to save yourself embarrassment I’d let the Evening Herald analysis and headlines off, it’ll only come back to bite you. As a die hard Cork fan, I am under no elusions. I still fear Kerry ten times more than Donegal or Dublin for that matter. I hate to admit it but that’s the fact. I am confident that should we get past Kildare and happen to meet Kerry we can do them but even I, a Cork man, with a more gifted team of players than Dublin by a mile, wouldn’t be calling this decade the decade of the “Corkies”.
PS: Cork is a city too, everywhere outside of Dublin village is not a rural “culchie” area so leave off the dopey and tired ole guff that belongs between the fair weather, low iq fans in the Hill!
Well wow diarmuid!
For a man who doesn’t see Dublin as a threat you certainly spend alot of time analysing them…
I was in pairc ui chaoimh earlier this year with a considerable number of dubs and about 7 cork fans and all I saw corks “natural footballers” do was hand pass the ball for 70 minutes.
Personally I’d be more worried about the dubs playing mayo than cork. I hope you lads beat Kerry personally because despite your clear arrogance there’s alot more of it in Kerry even if they do have some great footballers!
Ouch my head is killing me after typing this with my low iq and all…:)
Dubs in a bookshop!now that’s funny
@john clearly they remarks were directed at the culchie and decade of the dubs remarks. I have nothing but respect for the honest dub fan but even the most hardcore dub fan would admit that on match day at least half the hill would be doing well to even know what sport they’re watching. If you fear mayo more than cork, I’d question your judgement, given dub recent record against both.
Andrew was blowing smoke up yir h0les, looking for a reaction,and you all jumped up and gave it to him!
Irony deficiency methinks, low IQ indeed! :))
So easy to wind up.
Culchies….take the bait every time!!!
Who honestly cares.. An insignificant sport!
Why are you reading this story so?
Wind up merchants.
FIXED in favour of the Dubs. So so obvious
Did Jim Corr tell you that?
What fools you are to think that the men from Donegal will let Kerry get in their way.It will be the surprise game of this years championship. Can’t wait.
Hopefully they won’t need 3 attempts to get the job done
Donegal can defend , we can all see that but now they can also attack.
LAOIS LAOIS LAOIS!
….will LOSE LOSE LOSE! :)
It will be Dublin, Cork, Kerry & Down in da semi finals, 2 of Dublin, Cork & Kerry in the final!!!
Even a fool can work out the Dubs success rate 1977 to 2011 a total of 3 All Ireland victories …… Even a Dub can do the Maths.
1977, 1983, 1995, 2011. Doesn’t that equal 4? I’m just checking, because as a Dub I’m not too good at the oul Maths Joe!! Oh dear Joe, EPIC FAIL!!!!!!!!
Anybody can have their view , even a fool . Let’s see how it goes.
Kerry V Donegal is going to be like Beauty and the Beast.
Totally unnecessary to call Paul Galvin a beast
What fools you are to think that the men from Donegal will let Kerry get in their way.It will be the surprise game of this years championship. Can’t wait.
Kerry
Kildare Cork
Donegal
Dublin
Mayo
Down
laois
Its quite east hope this helps
What fools you are to think that the men from Donegal will let Kerry get in their way.It will be the surprise game of this years championship. Can’t wait.