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Galway Football thread

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Replying To WanPintWin:  "Impressive up front and got a much better grip of midfield in the last 20 minutes. Mainly winning breaking ball, but a lovely catch from a long kickout which got the attack going for the first goal. They took the majority of their chances. Daire Cregg and Murtagh very impressive, which was no surprise to me.
With the Brigid's lads back you'll have a good strong squad and capable of matching most teams in the country. You struggled badly in midfield in the first half, but that's not unusual in the modern game against a string wind. We've seen it happen to plenty teams in the league, including ourselves.
Championship is still a good bit away, but it should be a right battle in Connacht."
Thanks

moros (Roscommon) - Posts: 1277 - 22/02/2026 21:16:51    2657949

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Replying To galwayman2:  "I think this post sums it up perfectly."
I doesn't help if the sideline are roaring and gesturing where a sideline kick should go, so the opposition didn't have to decide where to defend as happened in the final minutes of the game in front of the stand, Ross duly intercepted easily and cleared.Match gone!

backtooldwall (Galway) - Posts: 216 - 22/02/2026 21:56:20    2657964

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Replying To WonTon5:  "On Fionn McDonagh, he hasn't quite matched the spark of the first two league outings. He seems more effective when he can drift,
There's a strong argument for Rob Finnerty wearing 14. He naturally plays on the shoulder and looks more at home operating as the main inside threat. McDonagh feels better suited to the corner where he can roam, while Finnerty gives you that sharper edge in the square, something that could be important against Donegal.
Liam O'C was very good. Shane McGrath, he got plenty of mentions on Galway Bay FM, has he done enough to hold his place?
As for Charlie Power, you can see potential, but he hasn't really stamped his authority on a game yet, not sure what he offerers. Colm Costello, he's always a goal threat, would have liked to see him given 20 mins. Sometimes you just need someone sniffing around for scraps. Not very optimistic going to into Donegal game."
The substitutions reduced control of the game pattern and caused turnovers with wild kicking options.As for F McDonagh I'm one of many who feel he would be best utilised for Galway at a different venue the following day.

backtooldwall (Galway) - Posts: 216 - 22/02/2026 22:06:49    2657968

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Galway's record away from home must be way better than it is in Salthill. Would love to see the stats but we generally perform well on the road. But we have absolutely no home advantage at all.

Marooned (Galway) - Posts: 2494 - 22/02/2026 22:46:51    2657980

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Conditions didn't really suit Fionn McDonagh on Saturday. The pitch was like an ice rink and the ball was like a bar of soap. So any advantage he had in being 6 foot 6 was negated. High ball wasn't been kicked in because of the conditions. Probably no coincidence that Liam O'Conghaile had his best game for Galway with 0-6. His size and low centre of gravity suited the wet conditions.

Marooned (Galway) - Posts: 2494 - 22/02/2026 22:54:11    2657982

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It was a embarrassing second half performance.our forwards aren't up to it.You would hope alan naughton gets a run soon,surely deserves a chance.out kickouts are no better than when gleeson was in which points it to no plan for them. Wide open at back,need new centre back and full back.

Dunmore10 (Galway) - Posts: 183 - 23/02/2026 10:24:08    2658025

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Replying To Marooned:  "Conditions didn't really suit Fionn McDonagh on Saturday. The pitch was like an ice rink and the ball was like a bar of soap. So any advantage he had in being 6 foot 6 was negated. High ball wasn't been kicked in because of the conditions. Probably no coincidence that Liam O'Conghaile had his best game for Galway with 0-6. His size and low centre of gravity suited the wet conditions."
Conditions didn't seem to bother Bomber Liston in the second half of the 1978 all-ireiand final. Quite the contrary in fact.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4568 - 23/02/2026 10:30:57    2658030

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Replying To backtooldwall:  "I doesn't help if the sideline are roaring and gesturing where a sideline kick should go, so the opposition didn't have to decide where to defend as happened in the final minutes of the game in front of the stand, Ross duly intercepted easily and cleared.Match gone!"
That was a shocking play from Jonny, and he knew it too. To fritter away the last potentially match winning/match losing possession was one thing, but to do so from a deadball situation, hitting a Ros player standing 10 yards in front of you in the chest with the ball was quite another Hara-kiri moment for 1or2 league points right there.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4568 - 23/02/2026 10:39:45    2658037

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Replying To WonTon5:  "On Fionn McDonagh, he hasn't quite matched the spark of the first two league outings. He seems more effective when he can drift,
There's a strong argument for Rob Finnerty wearing 14. He naturally plays on the shoulder and looks more at home operating as the main inside threat. McDonagh feels better suited to the corner where he can roam, while Finnerty gives you that sharper edge in the square, something that could be important against Donegal.
Liam O'C was very good. Shane McGrath, he got plenty of mentions on Galway Bay FM, has he done enough to hold his place?
As for Charlie Power, you can see potential, but he hasn't really stamped his authority on a game yet, not sure what he offerers. Colm Costello, he's always a goal threat, would have liked to see him given 20 mins. Sometimes you just need someone sniffing around for scraps. Not very optimistic going to into Donegal game."
Fionn McDonagh's height alone would have won us that ball down near the square when we badly needed it in the second half. He's a few feet above anyone else out there, you simply can't buy 6'6" for love nor money.

Leave him inside, give him one decent delivery, and it's panic stations for any full-back line. He's also far more composed than some of the other young lads. There's no rush about him, no snatching at chances. In a chaotic final stretch, that calm head could have made it a very different story altogether if he was on at the end, definitely would have won that ball instead of Oisin ans got it over the bar or in a goal. Same when Finnerys free didn't go over, we needed a tall lad like him inside to catch it and get it over.

Gearoid1998ffowaed (Galway) - Posts: 212 - 23/02/2026 11:12:29    2658051

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We were lucky to come out of anything in Tralee and Armagh so these things tend to level out over the course of the league. 3 points from 4 games seems a fair reflection on 2026 so far.

ahsure. (Galway) - Posts: 1756 - 23/02/2026 11:26:35    2658064

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Replying To Marooned:  "Galway's record away from home must be way better than it is in Salthill. Would love to see the stats but we generally perform well on the road. But we have absolutely no home advantage at all."
Last six away league games for Galway W2 D2 L2 points 6

Last six home league games W2 L4 points 4

On another note why was that game scheduled for a Saturday night under lights when not streamed or televised? Surely the sensible option was to play it Sunday at 2pm and in Tuam stadium. Galway chairperson Paul Bellew said before the league that Tuam wouldn't be big enough to host league games, was room in Tuam for the 6,048 that turned up to Salthill on Saturday.

Gaa_lover (USA) - Posts: 3850 - 23/02/2026 11:38:58    2658067

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Replying To Marooned:  "Conditions didn't really suit Fionn McDonagh on Saturday. The pitch was like an ice rink and the ball was like a bar of soap. So any advantage he had in being 6 foot 6 was negated. High ball wasn't been kicked in because of the conditions. Probably no coincidence that Liam O'Conghaile had his best game for Galway with 0-6. His size and low centre of gravity suited the wet conditions."
Wht do propel say smaller people suit hsrder ehich faster ground so contradiction there no? Or is he tall rangy pacy player not as physical ?

Gaaforlife2023 (Longford) - Posts: 1205 - 23/02/2026 11:44:57    2658072

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Replying To Marooned:  "Conditions didn't really suit Fionn McDonagh on Saturday. The pitch was like an ice rink and the ball was like a bar of soap. So any advantage he had in being 6 foot 6 was negated. High ball wasn't been kicked in because of the conditions. Probably no coincidence that Liam O'Conghaile had his best game for Galway with 0-6. His size and low centre of gravity suited the wet conditions."
Smaller pacey players suit summer in general no?

Gaaforlife2023 (Longford) - Posts: 1205 - 23/02/2026 11:45:23    2658073

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Replying To Gaaforlife2023:  "Wht do propel say smaller people suit hsrder ehich faster ground so contradiction there no? Or is he tall rangy pacy player not as physical ?"
Colm O'Rourke, when he wasn't talking about manliness, would always say that dreadful slippy conditions accentuated the level of a player's talent. Great players looked even greater in bad conditions, while lesser mortals struggled even more than usual with 'conditions'. That was certainly Colm's opinion.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4568 - 23/02/2026 13:09:12    2658116

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "That was a shocking play from Jonny, and he knew it too. To fritter away the last potentially match winning/match losing possession was one thing, but to do so from a deadball situation, hitting a Ros player standing 10 yards in front of you in the chest with the ball was quite another Hara-kiri moment for 1or2 league points right there."
I thought he should have slowed it down and made absolutely sure he got the ball to a maroon jersey. But PJ was roaring at him to play it quick. There was a Galway player free down the wing but the Roscommon player read it and intercepted the pass.

Marooned (Galway) - Posts: 2494 - 23/02/2026 13:12:02    2658119

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Replying To Dunmore10:  "It was a embarrassing second half performance.our forwards aren't up to it.You would hope alan naughton gets a run soon,surely deserves a chance.out kickouts are no better than when gleeson was in which points it to no plan for them. Wide open at back,need new centre back and full back."
The penny is finally dropping.

JimB1991 (Donegal) - Posts: 134 - 23/02/2026 16:41:08    2658207

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Replying To togoutlads:  "A really frustrating watch as we let that one just ebb away. Supposedly seasoned All Ireland contenders shouldn't lose a thirteen point lead, end of. Poor leadership, application and decision making on and off the field. Lost both our local derbies on our home turf - which is so frustrating for the Galway faithful. Serious sides have to be winning their derbies at home. We're making Salthill more of a sand castle than a fortress. Not good enough."
Seems to be a fact that in Galway / Mayo/ Roscommon derbies, the away team comes out on top most times. We seem to have more joy in Salthill/Tuam/Castlebar than the Hyde.

facethepuckout (Roscommon) - Posts: 231 - 23/02/2026 20:22:42    2658253

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