Reading the tea-leaves from The Dome

What exactly do you take from last Friday’s (January 6) FBD Insurance Connacht League clash in the magnificent NUI Connacht GAA Air Dome if you are Andy Moran or Padraic Joyce because I came away from a fast moving and high scoring encounter more than a little bit confused about what it all means.

The bald facts don’t make for good reading for anyone of a Leitrim persuasion - Galway blitzed the Green & Gold in the first half, scoring 2-12 to end the game as a contest and they did it all with an air of indifference that speaks volumes for their ambitions in 2023.

But those bald facts also state that last year’s All-Ireland finalists just about shaded the second half, 1-9 to 1-8, a late scoring burst that yielded three points in added time ensuring they edged their opponents in that statistical column, something for Leitrim fans to hang their optimism on for the rest of the year.

Sometimes the bare facts hide a deeper truth and sometimes there are no real lessons to be learned but sometimes both those themes can be true at one and the same time - and that’s what I took from last Friday’s start to the 2023 inter-county season for Leitrim footballers.

The deeper truth, not that anyone from Leitrim needs to be told it for they know it in their bones, is that Galway, and the rest of Division 1 teams, are operating on a completely different level from Leitrim and their fellow Division 4 sides - anyone who was in Salthill last May needs no reminding of that fact.

Galway’s first half display was blistering - hitting just one wide, it was the intent they showed in turning the ball over, dominating the middle of the park and finding space between fairly heavily policed Leitrim defensive lines that speaks of a team with lofty ambitions - no signs of an All-Ireland hangover here.

What Galway seem to be experiencing right now is what Dublin, Kerry and Mayo have regularly utilised over the past decade and a half - players are bursting themselves in January just to get in contention to make the panel for the League as Galway 2023 already seem a step up on their 2022 iteration.

That’s what ambition does - winning the Connacht title and reaching the All-Ireland Final has whetted the Tribesmen’s appetite for more and judging from the massive support they boasted in the Air Dome, Galway’s fans are definitely buying in. I’ve been to many a Leitrim - Galway game over the years and the Tribe turnout in Bekan was bigger than for some National League games in the past!

That brings its own pressure but Padraic Joyce’s team look capable of rising to the challenge.

The Leitrim team who were defeated 3-21 to 1-13 by Galway in the FBD Insurance Connacht League in the NUI Galway Connacht Air Dome last Friday evening. (Back, from left) Jordan Reynolds (Mohill), Darragh Rooney (St Judes), Donal Casey (Leitrim Gaels), Barry McNulty (Glencar Manorhamilton), Keith Beirne (Mohill), Nevin O'Donnell (Shannon Gaels Cavan), Darren Maxwell (Ballinamore Sean O'Heslins), Domhnaill Flynn (Mohill), Killian Gaffey (St Mary's Kiltoghert), Aidan Flynn (Leitrim Gaels), Radek Oberwan (Allen Gaels), Evan Sweeney (Glencar Manorhamilton), Oisin McLoughlin (Fenagh St Caillins). (Front) Michael McKiernan (Ballinamore Sean O'Heslins), Stephen McLoughlin (Kiltubrid), Mark Plunkett (Aughawillan), Adam Reynolds (St Mary's Kiltoghert), Shane Quinn (Mohill), Conor Farrell (St Mary's Kiltoghert), Cillian McGloin (Melvin Gaels), Donal Wrynn (Fenagh St Caillins), Jack Heslin (Gortletteragh), Tom Quinn (Castleknock), Riordan O'Rourke (Fenagh St Caillins), Paul Keaney (St Mary's Kiltoghert), Conor Reynolds (Annaduff). Mascot: Ryan McWeeney Picture: Willie Donnellan

Leitrim were understrength without Pearce Dolan, Ryan O’Rourke, Paddy Maguire, Jordan Reynolds and Mark Diffley to name a few but Galway were without their Moycullen contingent and only started five of their All-Ireland final line-up on Friday.

Their embarrassment of riches was evident in the way Rob Finnerty and Ian Burke dominated this game. One Galway scribe told me Burke, Corofin's superb leader of their attack and a former All Star, would struggle to make the Galway forward line when the Tribe were at full-strength - that’s some strength in depth.

Rob Finnerty was the outstanding player on show and he has clearly spent a good bit of time in the gym, obviously bigger and stronger than in the past. His accuracy, pace, fielding was all outstanding yet the Salthill man would probably be only ranked their third best forward behind Shane Walsh and Damian Comer, and Patrick Kelly might dispute that too!

So losing to Galway wasn’t really a surprise for Leitrim fans, the way last year's All-Ireland finalists tore them apart in the first half was impressive, finding gaps in a packed defence that highlighted their speed and quality on the ball.

But does the defeat spell bad news for the League?

No, and I’d be fairly definite about that because, one, Leitrim won’t face anything like the quality Galway possess in Division 4 and two, the game had the feel of a championship encounter, incredibly pacy and fast moving on a brilliant surface.

Playing on astro-turf is a world away from what the Leitrim and Waterford teams will experience when they run out on the field in Avant Money Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada at the end of the month - the pitch will be heavier and slower and draining but the game won’t be played at Summer pace the way last Friday was.

Obviously there are lessons to be learned from Friday - Leitrim were badly off the pace in the first half and it showed on the scoreboard. They were tighter, more aggressive in the second and that showed too but I’d be reluctant to read too much into the second half as the intensity of the game dipped and Galway were content to do just enough to prevent a Lazarus like Leitrim recovery.

What Leitrim will take out of it is minutes in the tank and a reminder that there is work to be done after a valuable workout against quality opposition as they ramp up preparations over the next few weekends.

Leitrim looked fit, committed and a lot of players got game time under their belts - all positives to take from the game. The way Galway tore through the Leitrim defence and midfield in the first half are valuable lessons too, so maybe it wasn’t a complete loss.

Division 4 and the trip to Gaelic Park are the key targets for Andy Moran this year and while aspects of Friday’s defeat were chastening, they’ll be forgotten about in a few weeks if Andy Moran's side perform well in the League and championship and that is the main lesson to take from last Friday.