Experimental Galway side annihilates London in FBD League opener  

Galway manager Padraic Joyce. Pic: Lorcan Doherty

Galway 3-19 London 0-4 

A Galway side mainly made up of development players proved way too strong for London in the opening game of the FBD League at the Connacht GAA Centre in Mayo.

Pádraic Joyce used just four of the squad who were on duty in the All-Ireland quarter-final loss to Meath last summer — Seán Fitzgerald, Jack Glynn and Daniel O’Flaherty started with Johnny McGrath coming on — but they still had far too much firepower for a London side who will also play Sligo this Sunday before flying home.

Mountbellew/Moylough’s Ciarán Mulhearn struck two goals while another member of Galway’s U-20 side from last year, Colm Costello from Dunmore MacHales, also found the net.

Galway ran out 25 players — teams are allowed a squad of 26 but only six subs can be introduced in the second half — as Joyce got a look at the depth level in the county.

London plan to field an almost entirely different starting team against Sligo and, inevitably, they struggled in this one and did not manage to score from play.

Galway led by 2-9 to 0-2 at the break with Ryan Roche of Killannin and Corofin’s Conor Carson setting up Costello for the opening goal after 18 minutes.

Mulhern got his first goal after finishing a rebound following a good save by London goalkeeper Andy Walsh.

Galway, who play Leitrim next weekend with a place in the FBD League final on the cards, had eleven different scores with Donegal’s Joe McGill getting all of London’s total from frees.

Scorers for Galway: C Costello 1-6 (0-2f, 1 0-2 free, 0-1 mark); C Mulhern 2-1 (0-1f); B Cogger, S McGrath, M Mulryan 0-2 each; F Ó Laoi, D O’Flaherty, J Mullen, F McDonagh, M Barrett, C Power 0-1 each.

Scorers for London: J McGill 0-4 (4f).

Galway: E McGrath; J Folan, S Fitzgerald, J Glynn; F Ó Laoi, C Carson, B Cogger; J O’Neill, R Roche; S McGrath, C Mulhern, D O’Flaherty; J Mullen, F McDonagh, C Costello. 

Subs: J Nolan for Mullen (5), M Barrett for O’Flaherty (25), J McGrath for Carson (25), A Kavanagh for O Laoi (29), M Mulryan for McGrath (34), D Heneghan for Folan (34), S McGlinchey for Roche (34), C Gallagher for S McGrath (54), C Power for McDonagh (54), L Costello for C Costello (51).

London: A Walsh; R McCready, N McElwaine, C Redican; O Kerr, D Griffin, E Clarke; J McGill, M Friel; D Gouldson, L Gallagher, S Wogan; D Brennan, G Durrant, M O’Reilly. 

Subs: L Murphy for McGill (42), S Henry for Redican (55).

Referee: Ronan Hynes (Sligo).