Sports
Galway FC make it four consecutive wins
Galway FC strengthened their grip in the promotion play-off places with a 3-0 win over Finn Harps on Saturday night.
It was their fourth win on the trot in the SSE Airtricity League First Division; a third clean-sheet in that run; and the first time Finn Harps have conceded three goals all season.
“We were the better team throughout the match and tried to play as much as we possibly could, but we weren’t as fluent as we would like to be, especially in the first half. Sometimes you get games like that, it was important for us to get the three points first and foremost, and to get three goals and a clean sheet is a bonus,” said Galway FC manager, Tommy Dunne, in Eamonn Deacy Park after the game.
“At different times we got in to good areas of the pitch but our final ball wasn’t great so we might need to look at that. In the first half I thought we were a bit sloppy, but you do get spells like that in games.
“But overall, we’re not going to be too harsh on individuals – it’s at that time of the year where results are probably more important than anything else,” Dunne said.
Speaking to Sentinel Sport after the game, Galway FC midfielder Ryan Connolly admitted that the games against the Ballybofey outfit this season have been tough, but the players were ready for the approach of their visitors on Saturday night, and could plan accordingly.
“They are horrible to play against, but that is the way they are set up to play and you know what you’re getting. They are difficult to play against, you know you’re going to get a kicking, they are a very physical team –you’ve got to match them first of all physically, and then try to impose our own game with passing and moving and I think we did that very well tonight,” Connolly said.
With a place in the promotion play-off almost secured, Connolly dispelled any notions that the players weren’t ready to make the step up to the top flight, but he cautioned that there were still three games to go in the campaign, and that play-off spot – while likely – wasn’t secure just yet.
“Are we not ready for promotion? Maybe as a club, maybe in the background – we don’t know as players what’s going on in the background, but as a squad definitely we are ready, we have a squad good enough to go up to the Premier.
“Obviously we would add players if we go up but at the minute there’s everything there for us to go up, everything is in place – a great stadium, we have great facilities for training, so I can’t see how we aren’t ready to go up.
“We are in great form going into last set of games. We set ourselves a target of trying to win each of the last seven games, we can only take one game at a time and that’s four down, three to go so hopefully we can go on and win all seven, but we have Cobh away next Saturday and that is a tough game, it’s a tough place to go, so we’re not looking any further than that,” he said.
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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