Top Issue 1-2024

26 June 1997 Edition

Resize: A A A Print

Sportsview: How the mighty fall

BY NEIL FORDE

If you wanted an example of all that is right and wrong with the GAA, last Sunday's games provided pundits with the perfect exhibition of where things stand in 1997. Across Ireland in every province crunch games were held with some of the most spectacular results seen in recent years, while in Dublin's Croke Park, GAA headquarters and flagship stadium, high quality sport skills on the pitch were overshadowed by low quality organisational skills which could have meant a potential disaster for the huge crowd attending the Leinster hurling semi finals.

 


Clare 1-14
Cork 1-13

First though, the good side of last Sunday which left Clare GAA fans in a unique position where both their hurling and football teams are still very much in with a chance of securing both provincial and All-Ireland success in their respective disciplines.

Having resigned ourselves to the fact it was only Cork who had the capability to do a double, now a second Munster county have emerged with double ambitions. Ambitions which just three years ago would have been laughed off as either the drink talking or the musings of the incredibly naive.

The performance of both teams was erratic and Cork's forwards must be wondering how many times in the second half they squandered point scoring opportunities. Nothing can take away though from Martin Daly's last kick of the game goal. It merits the use of multiple sporting cliches. So let the records show that Daly `waltzed' around the Cork defenders and `let loose' a `cracker' of a shot that `set the back of the net dancing'.

 


Sligo 1-14
Roscommon 1-11

Connacht football had up until last weekend become a pedestrian experience where Roscommon and Galway and Mayo took turns to take the provincial title.

Last Sunday Sligo ripped up the script and consigned Roscommon to the abyss. There was a time in the late 1970s when Roscommon having won a league title were consistently the second best team in Ireland coming second to either Kerry or Dublin. Now they are not even the second best team in Connacht. How the almost mighty have fallen.

At this early stage Sligo are now vying with Clare and Cavan for the official underdog title. Watch this space.

 


Cavan 2-16
Donegal 2-10

Another crunch match, another upset, this time Cavan beating Donegal by a six point margin. The Ulster football championship is one of the most competitive with Derry, Down, Donegal and Tyrone all vying for glory. Tyrone were the first team in over 20 years to win two Ulster championships in a row. Now Cavan are set to add their names to the list and maybe emulate their famous all-Ireland victory in 1947 when they beat Kerry in New York's Polo ground.

 


Wexford 3-12
Offaly 2-12

All Ireland champions Wexford took another step towards their double with a three point win over Offaly. However they scored two of the most jammy goals Croke Park has seen this year.

It took Kilkenny hurling god DJ Carey's seven points and 61st minute goal to kill off Dublin's challenge in the other semi-final. Dublin put in a very credible performance and are still in the knockout stages of the league. So don't write them off just yet.

The hurling double header was marred by a massive underestimation of the likely crowd size. The GAA had expected 30,000 supporters but 52,000 turned up. The GAA have tried to shift the blame by highlighting the fact that children were allowed in free, but this does not explain the organisational ineptitude even when it became apparent that there was a serious crowd problem.

 


Ireland 2
Morocco 1

Congratulations to the Irish youth team who beat Morocco in extra time yesterday to clinch a quarter final place in the World Youth Championships. The winning goal was scored by midfielder Damien Duff. Unfortunately there was no television coverage of the match. RTE were busy screening five and half hours of tennis at Wimbledon with no Irish involvement. Oh and by the way rain stopped play all day.


An Phoblacht
44 Parnell Sq.
Dublin 1
Ireland