Sports
Galwegians win but Corinthians edged out at home
Galwegians strengthened their grip at the top of Division 1b of the Ulster Bank League, but Corinthians slipped to a sixth defeat.
The Glenina side were 10-6 in the battle of the Sky Blues when they took on Garryowen in Dooradoyle, with Doron McHugh’s second-half try proving to be the decisive score.
After a cagey opening by both sides, Garryowen took a 13th minute lead thanks to a penalty from out-half Jamie Gavin, following a strong scrummage from the home pack near the visitors 22, and only score of the first half.
This game was effectively decided in the opening 10 minutes of the second-half. Galwegians came out of the traps and deservedly pulled level in the 44th minute courtesy of a well-struck long range penalty by full-back John Cleary.
The home side suffered a blow when replacement full-back and Ireland U-20 international Alex Wooton was sent off for foul play by ref Oisin Quinn after extensive consultation with his touch-judge miniutes later, and then came the game’s only try,
A textbook driving maul saw McHugh get on the end of it to dive over for his third try of this campaign. Cleary added the extras to put Galwegians 10-3 to the good.
However credit to the hosts who responded very well to the setback. They took the game to Wegians and Gavin landed his second penalty just after the hour mark following some sustained pressure which forced Wegians to drift offside.
This reduced the lead to 10-6, and shortly afterwards the visitors lost the influential McClearn to the sin-bin, which led to a predictable onslaught from the hosts which tested the resolve and discipline of Wegians, but not for the first time this season their gritty and determined defence held out.
There was no such joy for Corinthians, who let a 12-0 lead slip at home to UL/Bohemians as they ended up on the wrong side of a 14-12 scoreline.
Corinthians took the lead in the 25th minute when they were awarded a penalty try. The visitors had lock Craig Irwin sent to the sinbin, and with the home side driving the scrum towards the line, the visitors were penalised for collapsing, and full-back Conor Murphy added the conversion for a 7-0 lead.
They extended their lead early in the second half with a fine individual try from Darrin Classen, who intercepted a UL/Bohs pass inside his own half, and he raced away to score in the corner, although it meant a narrow angle for the conversion, which Murphy was off-target with.
Corinthians of old would have closed the game down at this stage and kept the ball under their jumpers but alas they tried to run the ball. As they did so Bohs man-of-the-match Shane Airey intercepted to run in and touchdown in the corner.
He also converted, and all of a sudden the visitors were back in the game on a 12-7 scoreline with 25 minutes remaining. The home side’s pack put in some driving efforts, with lock Mark Byrne, young flanker David Joyce put veteran Gary Warde was also very much to the fore, but for all their possession they were unable to get into the visitors’ 22, and they were made to pay with eight minutes remaining.
Airey found a mighty touch five metres form the Corinthians line, and while the home side won the lineout and cleared their lines, the driving wind meant the clearance kick went to touch inside the 22.
Ed Kelly claimed possession from the lineout, and as the visitors’ pack drove forward, scrum-half Craig Miller ripped possession and scurried over the line for a try which Airey converted for what proved to be the winning score.
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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