Sports
McHugh’s points help get Galway over the line
GALWAY 0-13
SLIGO 0-10
WITH the sun still struggling to awaken before nine o clock and the chill of midwinter lingering in our bones, it’s a challenge to get warmed up about the first round of the FBD league, but the footballers of Galway and Sligo made a decent stab on Sunday at changing the sombreness of our moods.
The quaintly name Quibabar Park on the Kilglass side of Enniscrone on the road to Sligo has little natural protection from the wild west winds blowing in across Killala Bay, but it’s a welcoming place, and the local club pulls out all the stops in terms of organisation and hospitality for their biennial hosting of this fixture.
Kevin Walsh used the tie to give a whole crop of players the chance to wear the maroon jersey and, while for a time they seem destined to perish on the sword of a determined Sligo side, Galway came good in the end with a very spirited finish.
There was a ‘return to the fold’ on Sunday for the likes of Johnny Duane, Fiontán Ó Curraoin and Sean Armstrong whose collective resumption of county action is a welcome move – overall the fitness levels of both sides indicated that the excesses of the Christmas season had been largely avoided.
Wind is an intrinsic part of the Enniscrone landscape but at least on Sunday the rain stayed away and the biting cold of two years ago was absent – Galway battled against the elements in the first half, and when they went in at the interval only 6-4 down, they looked odds-on for a comfortable victory.
Niall Carew’s Sligo though had other ideas and turned in a most resilient third quarter when, for the most part, they outmatched Galway in terms of the intensity of their play, still leading by two points (0-9 to 0-7) with just 13 minutes remaining on the clock.
If anything, the balance of the match at that stage looked to have swung the way of Sligo but in fairness to Galway they turned in a most spirited final 12 minute to swing the match their way with a series of points from David Wynne, Barry McHugh (3) and Eddie Hoare.
Mountbellew’s McHugh, who kicked seven points over the 70 minutes (4 frees and three from play), was one of the more impressive ‘new players’ on view, while another duo – goalkeeper Rory Lavelle and midfielder Michael Day – also made their own piece of history on Sunday.
Both players hail from the island of Inishbofin and being the first duo from the island to line out for Galway at senior level – into the bargain, both contributed solidly to the victory.
Galway expended a lot of first half energy in trying to retain possession and create chances close to goal – given the intensity of the wind, anything outside the 30-yard range was practically in the unscoreable category for the Tribesmen’s forward line.
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.
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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