Salthill-Knocknacarra 0-12 Tuam 0-7:SALTHILL-KNOCKNACARRA captured their third Galway SFC title when they finished strongly in dreadful conditions at Pearse Stadium yesterday. The hero of the hour was Galway star Sean Armstrong who mastered the wet and difficult conditions to kick seven points and steer his side home.
Five of the points were from frees and his display was enough to see off a Tuam Stars side who may be the most prolific winners of the title but who are without a crown since 1994.
Salthill pulled away in the closing minutes of a game where the sides were level six times.
Tuam Stars just had no answer as the 2006 All-Ireland club champions fired over five points without reply in the closing ten minutes.
The sides were deadlocked four times in a foul-ridden opening half (24 frees) and they turned around level at 0-5 each. Shane Curtin gave Tuam great hope with some excellent points but, significantly, they were unable to build a lead with the wind behind them.
Brian Conlon and Tomás Burke hit big scores for Salthill whose strong support running game proved effective in bad conditions.
Wing-back Donal Marley was the only other Tuam player other than Curtin to find the scoring range in the opening half.
Cian Begley, Finian Hanley and Derek O’Flaherty were outstanding in Salthill’s tight defence.
Alan Kerins was just off target with a goal attempt but Armstrong landed a couple of frees. The sides twice exchanged points in the opening 20 minutes of the second-half. Tuam full-forward Shane Gaffney was wide with a good goal chance after 36 minutes.
Jamie Murphy blasted the equaliser with ten minutes remaining when his stinging effort was tipped over the bar by Cormac Connolly.
But then Salthill/Knocknacarra took control. Full-forward Seamie Crowe landed a superb point from the left wing to put them into the lead and Armstrong doubled the advantage with an awesome point from play on the right.
Armstrong pointed a 45 to put a goal between them before Crowe, added the insurance score. Armstrong soloed through for his seventh point in the closing seconds.
SALTHILL/KNOCKNACARRA: C Connolly; C Begley, F Hanley, C Halloran; K Conlon, G Canavan, D O’Flaherty; D Tierney, C Healy; A Kerins, S Armstrong (0-7, five frees), T Burke (0-1); G Cox, S Crowe (0-3, two frees), B Conlon (0-1). Subs: R McTiernan for K Conlon (39 mins), S Gavin for Canavan (52), B Malone for Burke (60), E O’Mahoney for Crowe (60).
TUAM STARS: J Trayers; D O’Rourke, I McGough, A Tierney; T Costello, G O’Donnell, D Marley (0-1); D Connern, P Doherty; S Curtin (0-4, three frees), C Doherty, N Quinn; J Murphy (0-1), N Henry, JR Bodkin (0-1). Subs: P Collins for Henry (47 mins), B Devaney for P Doherty (56).
