Connacht MFC: O'Curraoin double sees Galway past Leitrim
December 12, 2020
Galway's Daniel O'Flaherty and Conall Gallagher celebrate. ©INPHO/James Crombie.
Galway are through to the Connacht minor football championship semi-finals after seeing off a brave effort from Leitrim this afternoon at the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence.
It finished 2-17 to 0-12 in the Tribesmen’s favour with Cillian O'Curraoin's late goal helping to wrap up the win and seal their date against Roscommon next Friday at the same venue (throw-in 7.30pm).
O'Curraoin’s first goal on the eve of the first-half water break helped Galway to lead by 1-3 to 0-3 and they’d stretch it to four prior to the points of Gavin Reynolds and Conor Quinn halving Leitrim’s deficit in the run up to half-time.
The half-time score-line read 1-6 to 0-7 and Leitrim would have the margin down to one come the 40th minute.
Conal Gallagher landed a long-range score to nudge Galway back two in front but they’d suffer a blow when Adam Tierney picked up his second caution afterwards and got his marching orders.
Frees from O'Curraoin kept the score board ticking over through prior to Jack Casey’s point at the other end making it 1-13 to 0-12 with six minutes to go.
A slick team move from Galway a minute later afforded O'Curraoin the time and space to fist in his second goal, knocking the stuffing out of Leitrim and securing his side’s passage to the last four.
Galway - J Egan; J Ramsey, E Donohue, M Morrin; M Mulvaney, D O'Malley (0-1), A Tierney (0-1); D Burke (0-1), C Gallagher (0-6); R Kavanagh, L O Conghaile, J Dowd; D O'Flaherty, C O Curraoin (2-3, 0-3f), D Prendergast (0-2). Subs: J Slattery for J Dowd, M MacGearailt (0-1) for L O Conghaile, R Donnellan (0-1) for J Slattery, G Higgins (0-1) for D Burke, A Kavanagh for R Kavanagh.
Leitrim - C Flood; J Clinton, S Wisely, M Lenehan; D Duignan, C Quinn (0-1), D O'Sullivan; M McKiernan, G Reynolds (0-1); P Moran (0-1), J Tobin (0-1m), JJ Lipsett; J Casey (0-2, 1m), O Curley (0-4, 2f), S Smith (0-2). Subs: D Easterbrook for S Wisely, E Bohan for JJ Lipsett, C Doyle for D O'Sullivan, C Reynolds for J Casey, B McNulty for M McKiernan.
Referee - J Glavey.
Tweet🔷Full-Time at the Connacht GAA Centre, @Galway_GAA
— Connacht GAA (@ConnachtGAA) December 12, 2020
defeat @LeitrimGAA 2-17 to 0-12 after a great battle!
Galway now play @RoscommonGAA Friday in the Semi Final at 7.30pm, a game you can see streamed in the same place aswell as @sligogaa and @MayoGAA on Sunday at 2pm. pic.twitter.com/TvgNxYqJUq
