Macron Galway Cup Day One: Duffer presses habits and Colorado play squad number bingo

The Macron Galway Cup kicked off today with the four pristine pitches at Salthill Devon’s Drom complex resplendent in August sunshine.

I write these words now safely confined indoors with a lobster’s complexion, having been slow cooked during an opening day which proved a veritable, profoundly unmovable (it hurts), feast. This article will give a brief rundown of some of the highlights of day one.

The meeting of Galway United and Shamrock Rovers drew a large crowd to Pitch Three for the 2:25pm kick-off, as many flocked to see former Irish international Damien Duff lead his young Rovers side into action.

Galway, to the unscientific standards of a quick glance of the human eye, appeared to enjoy a significant physical advantage from one to eleven. Their high pressing game seemed to disrupt the neat, intricate patterns of play Rovers had practiced prior to kick off.

These drills had centred around patience and good pass selection, but once the whistle blew the Tallaght side’s touches and passes were too often rushed or panicked.

Duff was a vocal, enthusiastic presence on the sideline throughout, demanding more width from his team and more than once reaching for the magnetic tactics board to reinforce his point.

Rovers’ quality ultimately did shine through though, in the form of a well-taken left-foot curler from the edge of the box by the lively Dylan Duffy, shortly before full time.

After the win, Duff admitted that the group still has a way to go, and that he’s enjoying helping them along the path.

Speaking to the Macron Galway Cup’s Pete Kelly, the 100-cap international said: “The word that I probably hammered to them is ‘habits.’

“Nearly every player with me has bad habits, and I don’t know what people have been doing with them.

“And it takes a while to break habits, as we all know, so that’s what we’re doing day –in-and-day-out, on the pitch, off the pitch; so it’s a work in progress.”

Another marquee clash on day one was the meeting of home team Salthill Devon and English luminaries Leeds United.

It was a game which threatened to become lopsided early, as Leeds had a goal chalked off in the opening minutes, before stubbornly notching legitimately mere moments later.

Striker Max McMillan’s pace in behind was making him an extremely formidable threat to the Salthill net, and it was his deft turn and cross which created the goal.

As the opening exchanges gave way to the middle game, however, McMillan grew more isolated and the hosts began to open up and threaten themselves.

Joe Oladunni, the Salthill captain and defensive rock, was always on the front foot, snuffing out danger and launching attacks with his composed play on the ball.

At the other end of the pitch, Leeds’ own talismanic skipper, Charlie Cresswell, repeatedly received the ball at centre-half with the air of a veteran bomb defuser being asked to change a blinking light.

The courage in possession shown by both sides made the game a thrill to watch, and one felt gladdened when Salthill restored a deserved parity via a bending free-kick just before the interval.

Leeds midfielder Nohan Kenneh, who won Player of the Tournament here two years ago, allowed himself to be slightly more peripheral than he should have, given that when he did receive possession he appeared to do whatever he wanted to with it, regardless of Salthill objection.

Kenneh effortlessly turned away from pressure, spread play with an artistic flourish and, every so often, looked like he belonged in a category all by himself.

Salthill were made to hang on for the result towards the end of the game, but Oladunni rallied and cajoled his teammates to the dying whistle to seal a share of the spoils.

Elsewhere on day one, we were treated to the delightfully improbable match-up between Waterford schoolboys and Colorado Rapids, whose bearded, pony-tailed manager allowed himself an exasperated ‘Geez Louise’ after one particularly galling breakdown in play.

Colorado took the game by one goal to nil, the game’s solitary score coming from a late penalty. It was, on balance, a deserved winner for the Americans, who were incredibly tidy in possession and repeatedly made use of some wonderful vision in midfield to exploit some positional indiscipline in the Waterford back-line.

The Rapids also struck a decisive blow against orthodox numbering practices, starting the game with a backline which ran thusly:

RB: No. 39, CB: No. 40, CB: No. 41, LB: No. 11.

Honourable day one mentions also go to Leixlip centre-half, Andrew Omobamidele, who caught the eye as a vocal, commanding centre-back happy to play out from the back.

He was also denied an incredible moment in the game against Dungannon Swifts, when his looping header in the dying seconds from a free-kick was disallowed and the game ended goalless.

On the opposite side in that game Marito Marcel stood out at number ten for Dungannon. Marcel’s close control and eye for subtle passes through the Leixlip defence drew oohs and aahs from those on the sidelines.

For a full list of the results from day one of the Macron Galway Cup, click here.

And be sure to check back tomorrow for a roundup of the action on day two, as well as further Macron Galway Cup features.