News

Galway defeat Champions

19 October 2009

Galway 1st 3 - Freddie Timmins, Tara Melvin (2)

Greenfields 1 - Aine Collins

Last Sunday morning Galway 1st's secured a vital win over last year league champions Greenfields with a 3-1 victory at Dangan regional sports centre. In the past few years these fixtures have been full of twists and turns and this encounter did not disappoint, it was Greenfields who certainly started the brighter having the better of the early exchanges while failing to really test the Galway keeper. Galway's defence anchor by the Timmins Melvin partnership at the back weather the storm, as Galway began to establish a foot hold in the game. As both Jessica Mc Nickan and Lynsey Trainor combined to create Galway's best opportunity, before disaster struck as Trainor had to come off injured. The rest half remained a tight contest with both sides testing each other, while a series of events conspired to undo Galway. As Trainor was sent to the sin bin following an ill timed challenge, while neither team could find that crucial opening  until a short corner award to Greenfields just before half-time which was finished by Aine Collins on her reverse. While initially the goal was disallowed following an umpires conference the decision was reversed and the goal to stand. So at the half-time interval a frustrated Galway trailed one nil, following the break Greenfields with the numerical advantage began the stronger again. Galway hung on until they were restored to full strenght as Trainor was restored to line up, it wasn't long before Galway got back on terms following some determined play down the right from Louise Fahy, Galway were awarded a short corner. From the resulting corner it was left to Freddie Timmins to cooly flick the resulting rebound over the keeper and into the net. Following this Galway began to pile on the pressure with a series of short corners before Irish U-18 international Tara Melvin converted a sublime short corner into the bottom right hand corner to hand Galway the lead. Finally coach Richard Malone played his trump card as he placed the experience Emma Glanville into the forward line, Glanville's impact was immediate as she setup Melvin to compound Greenfields misery as she slammed home Galway's third. In the end Galway played out the final minutes to to secure an important victory this season.