ROSSIES STAND FIRM IN WAR OF ATTRITION
SUCH is the speed that the GAA world spins on its axis, the official match programme was out of date before the ball was thrown up at Tuam yesterday.
On an inside page, the experimental rules for 2019 were outlined in technicolour, a graphic to go with the explanatory text. Except, due to a decision by Central Council delegates on Saturday, the controversial three-handpass limit — which underpinned the entire package — had been voted down in a familiar volte-face in the face of uproar from a long list of managers and players.
And so yesterday’s FBD League decider was played without the handpass limit. Galway manager Kevin Walsh was one high-profile critic.
He was unapologetic for his own stance in the wake of yesterday’s fivepoint defeat by Roscommon and declared himself happy to see the rule ditched: ‘It’s gone and, personally, I didn’t see any value in it so I’m delighted that’s gone.’
His opposite number Anthony Cunningham echoed that view. ‘It was hard to work with,’ he admitted. ‘It was the most difficult one. As a spectacle, administrators are trying to improve it and they should be acknowledged for that. We’ll give the other rules time to settle.’
The most important dispatch from Tuam in front of a crowd of 2,561 then came via the PA announcer: ‘I’d like to remind patrons today that the handpass rule has been disbanded’.
As a spectacle, this one made for tough viewing, a niggly, stopstart affair seeing referee Liam Devenney produce 18 cards — 13 yellow, four black and one red. Galway were responsible for eight of those yellow cards, three of the 10-minute sin-bin punishments and David Wynne’s sending off in added time for a black card to go with an earlier yellow.
Walsh’s team were made to pay for a worrying level of indiscipline. Back chat to the referee allowed Donie Smith to kick a couple of frees from an easier distance.
The Roscommon corner-forward picked up the official man-of-thematch award, finishing with eight points, five frees and three crackers from open play including the last with the outside of the boot.
His team were deserving winners, a fourpoint burst in the third quarter proving key after Barry McHugh’s neat finish to the net had brought Galway level, 1-4 to 0-7 in the 43rd minute.
It all meant Enda Smith walked off the field with the trophy in hand, a timely pick-me-up ahead of next Saturday night’s daunting trip to play Mayo in Castlebar in the opening round of the League. Meanwhile, Galway host Cavan knowing that if they only manage a single score from play in an entire half as they did yesterday — Barry McHugh’s goal was their only strike in a poor second period — then they’ll be under severe pressure to get a result.
Gary O’Donnell thundered forward from his nominal placing at wing-back to kick two booming points in the first half. Outside of that, Galway’s only other score from play in the full game came from Shane Walsh, 11 minutes in.
Then there was the argy-bargy, the main flashpoint coming just before the break when Galway midfielder Kieran Duggan refused to let a free be taken quickly, wrapping up his man and sparking a rolling maul as players ran in from all angles to wrestle with each other. In the end, only Barry McHugh and Evan McGrath picked up yellow cards.
If Duggan was lucky to escape sanction, he did little to enjoy his reprieve, senselessly pulling down Tadhg O’Rourke and picking up a black card before half-time.
Barry McHugh thumped over a free from over 40 metres and then Donie Smith curled a lovely score over just before the half-time to