Sports
Salthill men hang on for victory after bursting out of the traps
Salthill /Knocknacarra 2-11
Kilconly 2-9
Despite a lightning start from Salthill / Knocknacarra, this game went down to the wire as both sides sought to avoid a drop into the relegation battle. In truth, the seasiders made tough work of a match during which they created enough opportunities to win the game twice over.
The game was also noteworthy as it saw former Connacht and Ireland rugby star, Gavin Duffy, play his first championship game for Salthill/Knocknacarra. While the Ballina native didn’t stand out on the day, it was a landmark game in his efforts to switch codes and play his way onto James Horan’s Mayo team.
Seán Armstrong Snr made seven changes from the Salthill/Knocknacarra side that lost to An Cheathrú Rua in the opening round and they seemed to work a treat as his team looked incomparable to the one which struggled so badly against the Gaeltacht side.
Salthill/Knocknacarra needed just 15 minutes to outscore what they had racked up in the full hour in the previous round as they raced into a 2-4 to 0-1 lead against a Kilconly side that were struggling to cope with their pace. In fairness to the North Galway team, they rallied well and will be disappointed that they could not push on in the closing stages of the second half after drawing level.
The winners signalled their attacking intent as early as the opening 20 seconds as Gary Cox and Seán Armstrong combined to set up Aonghus Callanan for the game’s first score. Cox was then presented with his side’s first goal chance of the afternoon, but he sliced his left-footed effort high and wide of the near post.
The 2012 county champions were not left to rue the miss for long as Kilconly were cut open by a flowing attacking move which saw Andrew Butler and Conor Halloran combine before the latter set up Seán Armstrong, who finished neatly past Dylan Steede. Armstrong soon added another point before a Michael Murphy free opened Kilconly’s account after 12 minutes.
The Salthill/Knocknacarra onslaught did not relent, however, as they hit another 1-2 in the following four minutes. Armstrong grabbed his second goal of the game after being set up by his brother Gearóid, before points from Andrew Butler and Gary Cox extended their lead to nine, 2-4 to 0-1.
At this point, the fear was that Kilconly would be annihilated but Jarlath Jennings’ men managed to keep their composure. A patient attacking move was rewarded when Michael Murphy got his second point of the afternoon before another free from Murphy in the 22nd minute seemed to steady the ship.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.
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
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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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