Sports
High stakes as hurling title race hits knock out stages
COUNTY champions Sarsfields will look to step up the defence of their senior hurling title this weekend when they take on an ever improving Kilnadeema/Leitrim in the preliminary quarter-finals. Although the men from New Inn/Bullaun will be hotly tipped, the contest is not without its sub plots.
For one, this is the first time in over a decade that the two will meet in senior championship hurling, having been fierce rivals at the turn of the millennium. In the 2003 quarter-final, a young Tom Tierney scored the only goal of the game to record a famous 1-10 to 0-10 win over Sarsfields and how he would love to relive the magic of that occasion this Saturday?
Two years later, the sides met again and on this occasion Sarsfields ran amok when accounting for Kilnadeema/Leitrim on a 1-14 to 0-6 scoreline. The defeat pushed the losers one step closer to relegation.
Current Sarsfields player/manager Cathal Murray was on duty that day and his involvement this time around provides another interesting sub-plot in that the defender and current Galway U-21 selector will be up against his bright young charge Brian Molloy, who shot 10 points for the Tribesmen in their All-Ireland U-21 semi-final win over Dublin last weekend.
There is something to grab the attention in all four preliminary quarter-finals, with little or nothing between the teams contesting the other three. That said, Mullagh, Tommy Larkins and 2012 All-Ireland club champions St. Thomas’ will also be favoured to advance – but only the skin of their teeth.
SATURDAY
Cappataggle v Mullagh
(Duggan Park, 4pm)
This is not only an eagerly anticipated derby between two neighbours but it is also a contest between two outfits who illuminated the group stages of the championship earlier this year. For Cappataggle’s part, they produced some exquisite hurling, especially against Liam Mellows, Ardrahan and Portumna, drawing the latter.
No doubt, Cappataggle’s star has been on the rise but, unfortunately, they have been crippled by injuries in 2016. Three players – James Garvey, Jonathan Shaughnessy and Michael Broderick – have fallen victim to cruciate injuries while the impressive Paul Claffey is a long term loss with ankle ligament trouble.
Added to this, Declan Cronin (quad) and Darragh Dolan (back) picked up knocks lining out for the Galway U-21s last weekend. Daniel Nevin was also to the fore in that U-21 victory, carrying his superb club form into the inter-county arena.
Full preview in this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GALWAY United need to guard against any kind of complacency when they make the short hop down the M18 this Friday to take on Treaty United at the Markets Field (7.45pm).
The game is a meeting of the two form teams in the division, and as in previous meetings between the sides, will have an additional edge given the number of former United players in the home side’s ranks, and the pair of Limerick lads playing for United.
There might have been just the eight meetings between the sides since Treaty became the latest iteration to represent Limerick in the League of Ireland in 2021, and while United have yet to lose to the men in the candy-cane strips, there has never been more than a goal in four of their eight wins.
The most recent of those was back in February, when Rob Slevin scored the only goal of the game in Eamonn Deacy Park after a tough battle against a side who made a slow start to the season, before finally finding their groove in the past month.
Having taken just three points from their first six games before finally getting a win against Longford Town, they reverted to type with just one point from their next three games, but are now on a run of four wins on the spin, scoring 12 goals and conceding just one.
Their most recent win was a 3-0 victory away to Longford Town last Saturday, and they could have won by double that against the only side to have beaten United this season. That in itself is a warning.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Soccer Wrap with Mike Rafferty
While the Salthill Devon men’s team might have lost their grip on the Connacht Junior Cup that they held for two seasons, the club’s women’s side have picked up the mantle and on Sunday last in Headford were crowned provincial champions with a 4-3 win over Manulla.
Following midweek wins for Maree/Oranmore and Knocknacarra, the stage is now almost set for the semi-finals of the Michael Byrne Cup with Salthill Devon meeting St Bernard’s on Sunday in an outstanding quarter-final, with the winners advancing to a semi-final against Maree/Oranmore, while Colga will face Knocknacarra in the other last four contest.
Just one league issue remains to be decided, with the Championship runners-up position up for grabs, as Dynamo Blues have to win their two remaining games in order to overtake Colemanstown United who have finished their programme.
WOMEN’S CONNACHT CUP FINAL
Salthill Devon 4
Manulla 3
Ellerose O’Flaherty scored twice as Salthill Devon were crowned provincial champions with a win over a Mayo side who were losing in the final for the second year in succession.
Backboned by a number of players who previously had League of Ireland experience with Galway WFC, Devon suffered an early set back when Jess Nolan put Manulla ahead, before O’Flaherty levelled matters with a cracking finish on 20 minutes, which was quickly followed by a long-range free-kick from Aoife Walsh.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
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