Yeats County Spring a mid Summer Shock

TG4 Connacht Senior Championship Semi Final Yeats County Spring a mid Summer Shock Galway 0 – 13 Sligo 2 – 9

No! You are not seeing things. No! The Scoreline isn’t the wrong way around, Yes! The Tribeswomen are heading for the Qualifiers and Yes! The Yeats County is heading for a Provincial Final. Those are the bare facts of this Connacht Senior Championship semi final played at Mc Hale Park, Castlebar on June 22nd as Sligo dumped Galway out of this year’s Provincial Championship.

A blistering start to the opening half, a fairly good finish to the opening thirty minutes, a dream start to the second period and a great finish insured that Jason Tanniane’s Galway would be heading for the back door Qualifier & maybe relegation fight on July 27th and Paddy Henry’s Sligo for a Connacht Final showdown with Mayo on Sunday 6th July.

Within the opening 5 minute the winners had 1 – 1 on the board the goal from return exile Stephanie O’ Reilly in the 5th minute some 3 minutes after Louise Brett had provided the opening score. From there to the 25th minute lies a tale of woe for the winners as Galway added seven points without reply – the pick of them from Lorna Joyce some 21 minutes as she sent over after a number of passages of play. Claire Hehir, Una Carroll, Gillian Joyce, Geraldine Conneally, Caitriona Cormican, they a fore mentioned Joyce provided the scores for the tribeswomen.

Siobhan O’Sullivan – another return exile – threw Sligo a lifeline in the 25th minute only for a double response from Una Carroll on 28 & 29 minutes. On the stroke of half time Noelle Gormley converted a free to send Galway to the dressing rooms 0 – 9 to 1 – 3 to the good. Indeed the lead could have at least been in double figures as the wasted chance after chance in their 20 minutes of dominance.

Sligo started the second half as they did the first with a goal and a point within the opening 4 minutes to retake the lead – the goal a free from Noelle Gormley that Tina Hughes will probably have nightmares from as she appeared to palm the ball into her own net – Therese Marren added the point. Claire Hehir restored equality in the 4th minute and Annette Clarke sent the Tribeswomen back in front again in the 11th minute.

Three uninsured points from Louise Brett, Noelle Gormley and Therese Marren had Sligo two to the good by the 16th minute as the game flowed from end to end. Gillian Joyce narrowed the gap to a single point and it was all square with ten minutes to go as Claire Hehir – a late replacement for Niamh Fahy – fired over. A rocket from Stephanie O’ Reilly in the 21st minute which was destine for the top corner of the net was turned over the crossbar at the expense of a point by Tina Hughes restored Sligo’s slender advantage. An advantage that was doubled with 4 minutes to go with Noelle Gormley converting a close in free to seal a famous Sligo victory.

Scorers Sligo: Noelle Gormley 1 – 3, Stephanie O’Reill 1 – 1, Louise Brett 0 – 2, Therese Marren 0 – 2 and Siobhan O’Sullivan 0 – 1.
Scorers Galway: Claire Hehir 0 – 3, Gillian Joyce 0 – 3, Lorna Joyce 0 – 2, Una Carroll 0 – 2, Caitriona Cormican 0 – 1, Geraldine Conneally 0 – 1 and Annette Clarke 0 – 1.