Sports
Ahascragh/Fohenagh finally make the breakthrough
Ahascragh/Fohenagh 2-15
Ballinderreen 0-8
ALL good things come to those who wait and that was certainly the case for Ahascragh/Fohenagh who, having lost county intermediate hurling finals in 2012 and 2014, finally secured the Mick Sylver Cup at the third time of asking with victory over Ballinderreen at Kenny Park, Athenry on Sunday.
By far the better team, the victors had led by 0-10 to 0-4 at half-time but still it took goals from Galway forward Cathal Mannion, a penalty, and Eoghain Delaney, a fortunate effort, on 42 and 56 minutes respectively to break the challenge of a plucky Ballinderreen.
From the outset, you got the sense that Ahascragh/Fohenagh were not going to let another opportunity slip and once Willie Dilleen’s outfit took the lead on seven minutes, after both sides had traded scores in the opening exchanges, they never really looked back.
In all, Ahascragh/Fohenagh had eight different scorers on the day, with Delaney and Mannion finishing with 1-3 apiece, while Ballinderreen, for their part, had just three players who found the target.
It was never going to be enough and this lack of cutting edge, creativity and rhythm, which had seen Ballinderreen dispense of the likes of Kilconieron, Rahoon/Newcastle and Kinvara earlier in the championship, was to cost them dearly.
Consequently, Ballinderreen just couldn’t conjure up the scores to produce a match-winning tally against a Ahascragh/Fohenagh side that flooded their defence with bodies to great effect any time Ballinderreen threatened.
In addition, Ahascragh/Fohenagh had also the experience of playing in those previous finals and this definitely stood to them as they looked totally at ease in their county final surroundings. They did not have to play the occasion as Ballinderreen did.
As contests go, though, this was by no means a classic. For one, a great deal of possession was turned over cheaply by both sides while, secondly, the standard of shooting, especially from placed balls, was not what you would have expected from two teams vying to go senior next year.
While the swirling wind around Kenny Park may have contributed to the probloem, the free-taking, at times, was an abomination. For Ahascragh/Fohenagh, Stephen Smyth and Cathal Mannion had some bad misses while Ballinderreen, in the second half, spurned relatively easy chances from placed balls through Kevin Lane and Shane Coen.
Those were to prove costly for Ballinderreen as they came at a time when they could have given themselves a lifeline. Already, Lane had converted a free on 32 minutes to reduce the gap to five but over the ensuing minutes he, along with Coen, missed chances from frees which, had they been converted, may have planted a seed of doubt in their opponents.
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.
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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.
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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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