Sports
Clinical Corofin looking good for the four-in-a-row
Corofin 2-10
Tuam Stars 0-9
COROFIN’S position as unbackable favourites to land their fourth county title in succession grew even stronger as they brushed aside the limited challenge of Tuam Stars on Sunday, registering a seven point victory in testing conditions thanks to goals in either half from Gary Sice and Liam Silke.
Sice’s clinical third minute strike punctured a large hole in any hope Tuam Stars had of opening up a sizeable lead when playing with the wind at their backs. From that moment, the Stars needed to somehow work towards a tally of 1-11 or thereabouts and limit Corofin as much as possible, but despite their best efforts they could only manage seven points.
Corofin were just too good for them, composed on the ball, eager for work all over the pitch, and able to take the chances that presented themselves in the closing stages of the half. A one point advantage was never going to be near enough for Tuam Stars to hold onto given they had posed no goal threat in the first period, and so it proved as Corofin slowly edged clear in the final quarter.
The champions should have won by more in reality given the level of possession they had in the second period, and it took Silke’s well taken 52nd minute penalty to finally put the contest beyond doubt, if ever it was. Tuam Stars could only muster two late points in response, and there surely is a severe sense of frustration in their camp that they could not repeat the levels of performance that almost knocked the champions out in 2015.
Kevin O’Brien made four changes to his listed starting line-up before the throw-in, as Bernard Power began in goals, while Liam Silke, Kieran Molloy, and Martin Farragher also started. Tuam Stars replaced John Lawless and Gavan Connell with Seamus Kelly and Darren Kelly and within half a minute they had the perfect start as Gary O’Donnell powered forward to win a free.
Shane Curtin converted the free, but Corofin were showing their attacking intentions by keeping three forwards high up the pitch despite playing into the gale. Tuam’s worst nightmare came to fruition when Dylan Wall, who was lively from the off, fed a neat pass inside to the roving Gary Sice, and he turned onto his left before burying a low shot beyond Johnny Trayers from 15 yards out.
Tuam Stars responded gamely, with Curtin firing over another free before grabbing a seventh minute effort from play, but they now needed to keep the scores ticking over and couldn’t afford a nine minute scoreless spell, which is what followed. They only took on 11 shots at the posts over the half and looked short of players who were willing or able to take on shots from around the 40 metre mark, which is what was required with wind assistance available.
Corofin, for their part, were solid and compact, with Cathal Silke and Ciaran McGrath typically tenacious in the tackle, while Kieran Molloy’s workrate was immense. Tuam finally found a gap on 16 minutes when O’Donnell and Conor Rhatigan combined before Conor Doherty scored, with O’Donnell soon adding a point of his own.
Full coverage 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.
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.
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.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
