Impressive Galway secure 25th title with ease
First-half goals from Paudie McCormack and Finnian Ó Laoi gave Galway the edge before Sean Kelly’s wrapped up the win with his side’s third in the 38th minute. Sligo got off to a flyer playing against the wind as a third minute free from Nathan Rooney gave the Yeats men the lead, before Kyle Cawley slotted a point from a tight angle to double the lead.
Galway had a shocking day in the drawn match with a tally of 15 wides, but once Paudie McCormack got them off the mark in the ninth minute the Tribesmen settled and five consecutive scores saw them lead 0-5 to 0-2 by the 14th minute.
Galway were well on top throughout the first-half, but Cathal Herron punished a slip from Ian Kent to level the game with an excellent Sligo goal after 15 minutes. But Galway hit back with a deserved goal six minutes from the interval through McCormack, before Ó Laoi gave them a 2-9 to 1-3 lead at the break.
Points from Finnian Cawley and Gaughan hinted at a Sligo revival as they cut the deficit to seven but the home side continued to dominate. Once Kelly and Desmond Connelly goaled it was all over.
P McCormack 1-2 (1f), S Kelly 1-1, C McDaid 0-3 (2f), F Ó Laoi 1-0, D Connelly 1-0, J Daly 0-2 (1f), E Lee 0-1 (1’45), C Marsden 0-1 (1f), C Ryan 0-1, C Brady 0-1.
C Herron 1-0, L Gaughan 0-3 (2f), K Cawley 0-2 (1f), N Rooney 0-1 (1f), F Cawley 0-1, A McLoughlin 0-1.
R Ó Beolain; C Mulry, D McHugh, I Kent; S Kelly, L Ó Cellaigh, J Daly; C Ó Braonáin, C McDaid; E Lee, F Ó Laoi, C Brady; M Boyle, P McCormack, R Forde.
C Marsden for Forde (h-t), C Ryan for McDaid (39), P O Domhnaill for McCormack (49), B Goldrick for Kent (57), D Connelly for O Braonain (58).
C McGovern; O Gilmartin, E McGuinness, M O’Dowd; N Mullen, F Cawley, S Power; D Cummins, P Kilcoyne; L Gaughan, N Rooney, C Herron; K Cawley, P O’Connor, M Gordon.
A Kerins for Gordon (7-9 blood), S Carrabine for Gilmartin (39), R Kennedy for Herron (47), A McLoughlin for O’Connor (58).
Declan Corcoran (Mayo).
