It was like the Pamplona bull-run when Thomas Galligan won the throw-in at Brewster Park.
He was the bull and the five Fermanagh players that had the job of chasing after him, unfortunately for them, were the bull-runners. He was the boss and, whether they liked it or not, they were at the mercy of whatever it was that he wanted to do.
He decided he’d go for the jugular and, with only ten seconds of the game played, he had Cavan a goal up and he had Fermanagh rattled. There aren’t too many players who have the blend of pace and power that he has and, as the big Lacken midfielder went onto dominate the game, ending his afternoon with 1-5 from play, Fermanagh discovered that there are even less who are able to stop it.
Galligan is hardly a bolt from the blue, having won an All-Star for his monumental shift in 2019 but, due to injuries and whatever else, consistency may have been an issue in the past but the hope in Cavan is that he’s ready to inspire them to the Tailteann Cup,
As a former team-mate, Cian Mackey knows what Galligan is all about.
“When you get someone catching a ball from the throw-in…we were talking about Stefan Campbell having pace but Thomas Galligan – when he gets going – he’s frightening. Power and pace. He’s frightening quick when he gets running and he’d probably do 100mts in 12 seconds.
“You’ve small lads who should be quick, trailing after him and then back of the net.
“He was riddled with injuries for the first few years of his county career, but now they’ve got him right, he’s in great shape, big, strong man and he’s been huge for us.”
Thomas Galligan is not an easy man to stop 🐂pic.twitter.com/DbjZaHJblD
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) June 8, 2022
“It was one of them banana skin games that we’re expected to win and then sometimes, traditionally, Cavan don’t perform in them,” Mackey added, “But we got a great start, 1-3 to 0-0 after eight minutes and the key for us is that, defensively, we’re fairly sound at the moment and we’re not leaking goals and, going forward, that’s a huge key for us.”
The Breffni are many people’s favourites to win the tournament out-right and with Gearoid McKiernan and the in-form Paddy Lynch backing him up, former Tyrone player Kyle Coney says that, on their day, Mickey Graham’s team are a match for anyone.
“I was impressed with them against Donegal,” said Kyle Coney.
“I think the score-line flattered Donegal that day. Paddy Lynch has been shooting the lights out, McKiernan is fantastic and Thomas Galligan as well – they’re three huge men and if the three of them are on song, any day, it gives them a big chance.
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