by Rory Houston
Galway produced a surprisingly assured performance in their opening match in the Connacht Football Championship and they will take plenty of confidence into this weekend’s clash with Sligo.
Watch Galway v Sligo live on RTÉ.ie from 5.50pm on Saturday 9 June (Ireland only). Extended highlights on RTÉ Two from 10.15pm.
The Tribesmen have been a falling giant for a number of years and many people had been tipping a Roscommon victory.
Going into this season it was hard to see that Galway swagger of unmanageable attacking football forthcoming. The quality forward play that was so easy on the eye, the brashness of knowing they have ruled Connacht on so many occasion and the freedom to go out and play the way they wanted; few were convinced it would be seen in 2012.
And when the full-time whistle blew in Roscommon, with the outcome of the game long decided in a 14-point win, it did briefly cast a thought of just what could be in this Galway panel.
Galway v Sligo (5.50pm web-only): Match preview
There is no doubt they lack experience and it will be a while before Alan Mulholland can think of taking them back to the top tier in the country. But when Padraig Joyce and Michael Meehan come off a bench to finish a job that was so comprehensively brought to near-completion, and in a manner fitting of their long-standing class, suddenly there is new optimism.
Roscommon were a shambles throughout the field in the first half and it was easy for Paul Conroy and Gary Sice to score. But the way they did was enjoyable to watch and reminded Galway fans at a perfect time of what they are trying to achieve again.
Sligo had a beneficial New York experience last month where they over-ran the home side and it probably brought a togetherness ahead of weeks of training for this game.
Kevin Walsh masterminded a famous win against his native county in their last Championship meeting and there seems to be a determination at least to right what happened last year. It was a pitiful season for the Yeatsmen. This is the chance to banish that farce for good.
The six-man forward line is unchanged from the New York game and in Adrian Marren and Stephen Coen they have enough to cope without the injured David Kelly.
The question mark on Sligo is whether they have the mental strength to go and win in Salthill, and against a Galway side that played so well last time out.
Expect it to be close but Galway will knick it in the closing 15 minutes.
Verdict: Galway
