The problem with being nice

THIS TIME last year Galway were building up a head of steam after a sprightly start to their Division 1 campaign under new manager Liam Sammon. They met Donegal in Ballybofey and a narrow one-point margin in the home side’s favour meant a first defeat for Sammon.

Comments about the same old failings rumbled beneath the surface but when Galway went on to record a further two wins against Mayo and Derry, critics were inclined to ignore the obvious deficiency in the Galway midfield, focussing instead on the rampant Galway forward division inspired by the re-emergence of the Joyce-Meehan axis down the middle.

All through the spring we watched as Geraghty, Coleman, Cullinane, Dunleavy et al were given their run-out at midfield with varying degrees of success. It wasn’t until a rusty Darragh Ó Sé blew out the last of his winter diesel in Salthill in April that it dawned on people in Galway and beyond that it really is very difficult to win anything meaningful without an established midfield pairing — or at least a contingency plan in the absence of same.