February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Pierce O’ Reilly
St. Barnabas 0-13, Galway 1-6
In the opening game played at Gaelic Park, early arrivers were treated to some fine individual performances from players who rarely get to showcase their talents at the association’s headquarters.
Watching some of the fine footballers and open play one wonders how such talented youngsters can put up with the difficult conditions at Van Cortlandt Park all summer long. At the interval in this keenly contested game, St. Barnabas held a slender lead of two points, 1-2 to 0-7. Jonathon Daly was St. Barnabas’ best attacker and his point taking was exemplary in that opening 30 minutes. Galway, to their credit, never dropped their heads and with manager Ollie Flynn and their best player, Seamus Durkin, driving them on from the back, they never let their opponents pull away.
In the second half, Daly put three between the sides before Brian McMahon hit two for the Tribesmen. Then Alan Quirke and Seamus Durkin put the Westerners in front for the first time with points from play. Daly once again leveled matters to ease the pressure and the game entering it’s final quarter. Two more points from Daly and in the dying minutes put the issue beyond doubt to earn the American-based side a well-deserved playoff position. Galway now will have to wait and depend on other results going their way before they’re certain of making the cut for further action later in the month.
Galway: A. Miskell, J. Enright, S. Larkin, T. Kelly, J. Rigney, S. Durkin 1-1, J. Dolan, D. O’Flaherty, J. McElligott 0-1, B. Mahon 0-2, P. O’Halloran, O. Flynn, P. McDonagh 0-1, A. Martin, P. Glynn. A. Quirke 0-1.
Sign up to The Irish Echo Newsletter
St. Barnabas: O. Killen, J. Fitzgerald, P. Lyons, B. Sullivan, T. Nolan, E. Grennan, B. Montgomery, P. Flynn, R. Garvey 0-1, B. Sherry, D. Halloran 0-4, J.P. Kirwin, R. Garvey, D. Meaney 0-2, J. Daly 0-6.