Galway Men's team traveled to West Cork last Sunday to play Bandon C and were looking to build on the workmanlike victory attained against Limerick on the 1st weekend of the season. A depleted and beleaguered squad traveled, with coach Michael Tighe having only the bare 11 to choose from. As always playing in Bandon, you never quite know what players they'll bring in, but this particular Sunday they had a mix of youth and some older players. Galway started the game brightly and were on the front foot straight away. Good early pressure led to a succession of short corners which culminated in Barnaby Gaughan firing in a straight hit past the helpless keeper. The front-line of Curley, Kennedy and debutante Aaron McInnes caused the Bandon defence endless problems and their good pressure led Galway to more short corners. A misplaced push out from Curley was pounced upon by 'Skip Wall' who put Andrew Kinsella in the clear and Kinsey made no mistake. There was barely 15 minutes on the clock and the lads fired in a third. Pressure on the right back from Curley led him giving the ball straight to Curley who made for the goals. Curley slipped into talisman Keaveney who was free at the top of the D. A greedier player would've shot but Keaveney has no such greed and dually past it round the keeper to Curley who made no mistake. 3-0 after 15 minutes and all the lads seemed content with this and as such has been the way for years, took the foot of the gas and let a poor Bandon side into the game when they had no right. The remaining 20 minutes of the half saw both teams applying pressure and both sides had chances with Bandon surprisingly more on top.

As half time sounded, the lads knew that the newly appointed coach would no doubt have strong words for the leg weary Galway side. Tighe ripped into the lads citing previous years where we always relax once a couple of goals went in. Fresh from Tighe's stern words, Galway took the field looking for more goals. As it turned out, the 2nd half was almost a carbon copy of the 1st. A now trademark misplaced push out from Curley at a short was pounced upon by Keaveney who played in Gaughan who converted his 2nd goal of the game. Bandon seemed like they wanted to give their legion of supporters something to cheer about and went in search of a consolation but teenage sensation, Arthur Leonowicz in the Galway goal was in no mood to be letting his clean sheet slip away and dealt with the very little Bandon had to offer with disdain. Galway pushed on and some slick play down the right between Hopkins and Keaveney led to Kinsella having the freedom of circle which allowed him to blast in Galway's 5th with a cracking reverse. It wasn't long before a 6th followed when Keaveney slipped in topscorer Curley for his 2nd of the game and 4th of the season. Let's hope the well doesn't run dry! A good result for the Galway Men's team but the manor of victory will be a cause for concern ahead of the visit of Church of Ireland 4ths at the weekend with no-one able to walk away from Bandon saying they played to their potential perhaps with the exception of their young keeper. The match against Church of Ireland will take place at 1:00 on Sunday afternoon in Dangan and all support is welcome as the lads continue their push for promotion and a return to the elite of Munster Hockey.

Results in Division 2:

Cork C of I D 1 (N Welch) Cork C of I C 2 (N Foote, B Dobson)

Bandon C 0 Galway 6 (D Curley 2, A Kinsella 2, B Gaughan)

Belvedere 4 (R O’Dell 3, S Wolfe) Cork Harlequins C 3 (W Bateman, D Long, G Fromme)

Limerick 3 (R Clarke 2, B O’Gorman) Bandon B 2 (T Martin, S O’Sullivan)