Sports
Galway Utd fail to fire and pay the penalty in shoot-out
Galway United 0
St Patrick’s Athletic 0
After extra-time St Pat’s win 4-3 on penalties
A bit of a farcical end to a disappointing night, and the disappointment wasn’t just confined to the final outcome, as Galway United’s dreams of a first piece of major silverware in almost 19 years were shot down in a shoot-out.
After 120 minutes of action failed to produce a single goal, the destination of this year’s EA Sports Cup went down to the lottery of penalties, and visiting ’keeper Conor O’Malley saved the efforts of both Jake Keegan and Andy O’Connell to ensure the cup travelled back with St Patrick’s Athletic to Dublin.
It was the third final United had lost in its history, and the second in a penalty shoot-out: the club also suffered spot-kick sadness against Dundalk in the 1981 League Cup final. Mind you, the victors seemed intent to give United another crack at success – the cup belonged to Pats when O’Malley’s saved O’Connell’s effort, but midfielder Greg Bolger started walking forward to take a 6th penalty for the visitors.
There were no celebrations from the Pats players either, and it required referee Sean Grant to intercept Bolger to confirm the shoot-out was over and that Pats had, in fact won.
O’Malley was named as the sponsor’s man-of-the-match, a selection which smacked a little of laziness for while he pulled off some good saves, and was the shoot-out hero for the visitors, Conor Winn was more than a match at the other end.
The big ’keeper made a couple of top-drawer saves, the pick of which was in the 77th minute when he threw himself to his right to claw away James Chamber’s 30-yard dipping effort, a save which saw both benches get to their feet to applaud.
However, it was two centre-backs who really caught the eye, with United’s Kilian Cantwell and Kenny Brown of St Patrick’s Athletic the stand-out players. Brown won every aerial challenge in the Pat’s penalty area, though you have to question United’s persistence in lumping the ball forward when Brown was so dominant in the air.
Down the other end of the pitch, Cantwell had less of an aerial threat to deal with, but he was excellent on the ground, making a number of crucial blocks, while his distribution was decent as well.
For United’s players, disappointment at failure to win the cup will be matched with regret at not playing anywhere near their potential. The same starting XI that had romped to a 4-0 lead over Longford Town after 70 minutes just two weeks ago seemed to let the occasion get to them. They needed to get stuck into the visitors from the start, lay down a marker that this was their turf and there would be no welcome for their opponents, but that never materialised, and the hope has to be that they can pick themselves up for the league run-in, which sees them hovering precariously just outside the relegation play-off spot.
It is rare to get a classic in a final: more often than not, the game turns into a battle, and that was the case on Saturday night, especially in the first-half, which was a largely forgettable 45 minutes of action as both sides struggled to get a passing game going, despite the excellent condition Noel Connolly and his crew had the pitch in.
The first chance of note fell to United in the fourth minute when Enda Curran got on the end of Jason Molloy’s corner, but Aaron Greene blocked his goal-bound effort. Cantwell hooked the ball off the toe of the raiding Morgan Langley in the 17th minute as the American got a sight of goal; while Winn gathered Greg Bolger’s effort midway through the half at the second attempt.
Cantwell timed his tackle to perfection again on the half-hour mark to once again dispossess Langley – such was the job he did on St Pat’s lone frontman, Langley was replaced by a far-from-fit Christy Fagan just after the hour mark.
For more, read this week’s Galway City 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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