US bound Thompson stars as Galway reach FBD final
California-bound Matthew Thompson lashed home 2-06 as Galway overcame Leitrim by 11 points in Tuam to book their spot in next week's FBD League decider.
2025 Young Footballer of the Year nominee Thompson will be out of action for the entirety of the league and the early part of the championship, with Padraic Joyce confirming that the Salthill-Knocknacarra players is studying in Berkeley for the upcoming semester.
He was the leading figure on a largely experimental Galway side - which also contained Cian Hernon and Kieran Molloy - as they came from three points down at half-time to beat Leitrim.
Thompson buried a goal in the top corner in the first half but the Connacht champions trailed Leitrim at the break, Killian Gaffney proving effective from placed balls, while Ryan O'Rourke and Jack Kelly also landed points.
Galway manager Padraic Joyce remonstrates with the referee over a decision
However, with Thompson converting a second half penalty, Galway eased home after the interval, with 10 different scorers overall as they ran out 2-19 to 0-14 winners.
After two rounds of the FBD League, the top two progress to next week's final, with Galway facing the winner of tomorrow's Roscommon-Mayo tie.
In Leinster, Westmeath have booked their spot in the O'Byrne Cup final after an 11-point win over Offaly in a goal-fest in Mullingar.
Waiting for them in the decider is a Kildare outfit that defeated Dublin 1-22 to 1-13.
Mark McHugh's Westmeath side advanced ahead of reigning champions Longford following a coin toss last Saturday but they impressed on the field of play on Saturday.
A brace of goals apiece from Danny McCarton and Brandon Kelly, plus another from Senan Baker, saw them run out 5-10 to 2-08 winners.
Ciaran Murphy scored two goals either side of half-time to pull the visitors back into the contest, the margin being briefly reduced to three points 11 minutes into the second half.
However, an unanswered burst of 3-02 over the next 15 minutes saw the hosts settle the contest in an emphatic manner.
Kildare found their feet in the second half against Dublin and now are one game away from a first O'Byrne Cup since 2014.
Harry O'Neill fires to the net for Kildare
Both management teams experimented in Newbridge with Dublin in particular shorn of overly familiar faces, but in the first half it seemed to matter little as they led 1-08 to 0-08 at the break.
Jamie McCarville palmed home their goal but it was Clyde Burke who caught the eye for the travelling support with some brilliant shooting that included two orange flags - the second of which was of the highest quality.
Alex Beirne was racking up the scores for the Lilywhites though and his two-point free early in the second half kick-started a run of 1-05 without reply, Harry O'Neill with the goal in the 43rd minute.
Kildare continued to turn the screw with James Harris' late two-pointer sending them on their way.
