Boston GAA Roundup Cork rally late to trip Galway

By Connie Kelly

Cork 3-5, Galway 2-6

Cork fought to the end of this keenly contested encounter at Canton on Sunday and were deserving winners at the long whistle. The Munster men were rewarded for their wholehearted effort with a goal in the last second of this game that gave them a 4-point cushion. John Fitzgibbons was the hero, hitting three goals over the hour.

Galway had led at the interval 2-4 to 1-2 but lacked cohesion and accuracy in the second period. In fact, the Westerners managed just two points in the second half after dominating for long periods. The Rebels, meanwhile, pounced on every goal opportunity.

With four minutes to play in this top-notch tie, Cork trailed by five. But up stepped Robbie O’Mahoney, John Casey and Paudie Murray. The Cork men stood tall around the middle and when they got the sliotar forward to the evergreen Fitzgibbons, he rattled the net. Fitzgibbons’s third and final strike was majestic. He volleyed the sliotar to the net after Ger Donovan found him free on the edge of the small box.

Mattie Ford had gotten got his team off to a flying start with two great goals. Two points by Ronan Quinn and one each from midfielders Brendan Morrissey and Teo Haplin kept the Westerners in front. They led by 2-3 to 0-2 after 23 minutes. The Cork backs improved in the second half and got stuck into their opponents early. They kept marksman Ford to just one point from a free, and with their midfielders breaking even, they reeled in the Westerners. Then the Fitzgibbon show began the rebels ran riot.

Donegal 1-12, Notre Dame 0-8

Notre Dame’s Ronan Murtagh, a Down native, gave a brilliant display of football in the corner forward position, scoring some lovely points and involved in several more. Notre Dame led 0-8 to 0-3 at the half and looked the better team by far. Donegal, coming off a big win over The Shannon Blues last time out, never seemed to be at the races in the opening half. Donegal would do a little more in the second half, but their forwards were guilty of poor finishing. Notre Dame goalie Emmet Murphy pulled off three great saves in the second half. John Hearns and Ciaran Walsh won their battle at midfield, with Hearns setting up Michael O’Brien for Notre Dame’s goal 16 minutes into the half. This move more or less ended Donegal’s chances of a comeback.