I still feel drained after that, so can’t imagine what the players must feel like today.
Such an incredible rollercoaster of emotions over those two hours. In fact, the last four weeks or so have been a rollercoaster, from the doom and gloom in advance of the Tyrone game through to the colour and noise and expectation on Sunday. Such a shame, a disgrace really, that things ended with a penalty shootout. It’s unnatural, anti-climactic, perfunctory. It doesn’t belong in the GAA - I hope the rule makers realise this before any other county is disenfranchised.
The game in normal time was conventional enough. We started well and then faded. Galway were the better team overall, and had they run out 4 or 5 point winners it would have been merited. They are a very good team that has been coming for a while now. I can see them taking care of Derry, and running very close in an AI final.
I thought I could see some heavy legs out there on our side, and it’s maybe no coincidence that some of the older lads - Murnin, Forker, Grugan, - didn’t make it to the end of extra time. We’ve had a tougher road than Galway over the last month.
We also weren’t as clinical as them, I think the wide count at the end of normal time was something like 8-3 against us. Some of our shot selection was off at clutch moments - unfortunately this came back to haunt us at the death too. McCabe’s red didn’t help either - Galway hit four in a row after that and looked to have killed the game off. The red was harsh for me. There’s no malice there, it’s just a fractionally mistimed hit. Yellow would’ve done and no one would’ve complained.
Then that mad 8 or 9 minutes. First off, fair play to Coldrick for adding the time. Galway were at the fake head injury stuff all second half to kill time, so 8 minutes was the least that was justified. A stop clock is the solution to this messing. Both goals were scrappy, but they’re the type of goals you get when you want them enough. O’Neill’s free to tie it up was something else, but there was never a doubt he’d nail it.
Extra time is a blur to me. I’ll have to watch back when I have the stomach. I thought we had it at two stages - after the third goal, and after Hall’s point. It was always going to be tricky to hold on against an opponent like Galway, but maybe we could have done one or two things differently and held out. McDaid’s point to tie it up was exceptional, though.
The penalties are a nonsense and you couldn’t hold it against either of the two lads that missed for us. But if we ever find ourselves in the position again I’d hope that we can learn from yesterday. GAA keepers are not at the same shot stopping standard as top level soccer keepers. Just hit the target with enough power and you usually score in Gaelic football. This is what Galway managed, but a couple of our penalties looked to try to be too precise, too close to the top corner.
The row was bad. And we more than played our part in it. That’s three in 11 games this year involving us, we can’t keep crying that we’re just being picked on. In fact, in interviews afterwards, McGeeney more or less said that the lads have been encouraged to get on like this. To not take a step back, to get under the skin of the big boys and let them know you mean business. I get that this cocky upstart thing is an energy that the team feeds off, but for me it begins to become counterproductive after a time. In the short term we lose players and we lose focus. Longer term there is a loss of reputation, which kills you slowly as you find refs gunning for you more and more regularly. We need to clean ourselves up.
Tiernan Kelly in particular let himself down, and I’m sure he knows that. He should be contrite, take whatever punishment comes his way, and quietly go about working his way back into the team. He still has a fantastic football career ahead of him. It’s difficult to make excuses for something like that, but I suppose he is young and the blood was up in the moment. It looked like one of those things that takes a second to happen, but that you regret for much, much longer. The witch hunt online and in the media is pathetic though, a lot of sanctimonious gobshites that live for whinging about things. Luckily, the storm will move on to a different target by the middle of the week - hopefully TK keeps his head clear of the noise in the meantime.
I don’t know about others, but I’m already looking forward to 2023. The league gave a hint of it, but it’s the last three championship games that has confirmed it for me: we’re 100% back at the top table. Some serious work, and improvement, and momentum has come together over the last 18 months. Good young players have come through, and some stalwarts have elevated themselves to standards I didn’t think they had in them. The continuation of the management isn’t in any doubt, and hopefully Donaghy stays onboard too - the boys seem to feed off his enthusiasm.
I don’t think any players walk away just yet, and there’s maybe two more years in the likes of Grugan, Campbell & Forker. I can see Turbitt starting more regularly, and return for Oisin O’Neill, Kelly, and Grimley. It’ll also be great for squad depth to have lads like Paddy Burns, Niall Rowland, and the Mackins back to full fitness. Boys like Woods and Kieran came in yesterday and kicked on, and there’s others like McQuillen, McConville, McCambridge, and Higgins still to really break through. The year will also stand to men who have just only got going in settled positions on the field - Rafferty, Og Burns, Conor O’Neill, Crealey & Duffy.
The talent of 20 years ago might not quite be there, but there’s still a very strong and healthy mix. There’s also an energy and togetherness and spirit that has been fostered, and which could take them a long way. We have a team that plays great football with great heart, what more can you ask than that?
Long post, but sure its cathartic.
