You don’t find it too often these days, the balls to be your own man on the football field.
Robert Finnerty has that courage in spades. He has that zest and enjoyment for the game that has players the island over looking on in envy at how football used to be played.
The Galway minors strode into the Electric Ireland Minor Football Championship final on Sunday with a powerful display to beat Donegal 2-12 to 1-11. They were led there by a deadly duo in attack of Finnerty – son of Mayo great, Anthony – and man of the match Desmond Conneely.
Robert Finnerty and Desmond Conneely shoot Galway into the All-Ireland minor football final.
2-12 to 1-11 pic.twitter.com/Yf2Z0Fb1kF— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) August 21, 2016
Listen, Stephen Joyce might’ve assembled a disciplined outfit that’ll file back in numbers, stick to their defensive duties religiously and close out the game when they have to.
Going forward though, Galway go to town and they go there with swagger and conviction. They go there with Finnerty and Conneely leading the way, leading a merry bloody dance.
Of their 2-12, Finnerty hit 1-5. Conneely hit 1-2. It is part of a strict system, of course it is. But it is a system designed to get the creative best out of their exhilarating arsenal.
And any time a Tribesman looked ahead, there were dozens of options coming from the runs of two men. The ball was pumped in and, for a few glorious moments, the shackles were off as the two lads did their thing. The rest just had to watch on and enjoy the show.
With Robert Finnerty at centre stage, the show brought fireworks.
His goal was pure coolness and skill.
A delightful pass inside from Fionnán Garvey picks out Conneely who has the defenders’ heads spinning. He’s eventually caught up on but his partner in crime mops up the mess and, my, how he does it.
The second goal was even more effortless.
Finnerty takes chase out to the flank, he scoops up the ball again as if he’s farting around in his backyard, and he drives inside with no fear. Seconds later, Conneely is placing past the ‘keeper with all the composure you’d expect only of a senior.
Robert Finnerty turns provider as Desmond Conneely rattles the Donegal net pic.twitter.com/rCz0jDygpq
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) August 21, 2016
After a while, the frightening number 13 was just taking the piss.
Really though, he was just having fun. And he does that by playing his own game. He doesn’t play the occasion, he plays the game. He just plays.
Rob Finnerty was just taking the piss by the end of that Galway gamehttps://t.co/gQsIaIAF1z
— Conán Doherty (@ConanDoherty) August 21, 2016
Some managers nowadays would try to take that out of young players. They would stifle that flair and that audacity and they would scold them for doing anything outside of the manly, traditional way of playing football. Bend your bloody back, pass it off, stop showing off.
But what a shame it would be if men like Finnerty didn’t show off the talent that they possess. What would football become if young players like that weren’t railing against the modern, no-risk mindset?
Finnerty plays without inhibition and plays without limitation. He plays like a man who was made for All-Ireland final day in Croke Park.
That’s exactly where he’s headed. The rest of us will just be lucky to watch on and enjoy the show.
Minor players are embarking on their adult lives, many are about to finish school and start college, they have hopes and dreams and ambitions, but for this one moment in time, the Electric Ireland Minor Championships is the major thing in their lives. Follow the conversation at #GAAThisIsMajor.
