Sports
Controversy as disallowed goals prove costly for Galway League
Clare League 2
Galway League 1
TWO questionable offside decisions was to cost Galway dearly as they lost their opening contest in the Oscar Traynor Cup in Ennis on Saturday evening.
Having taken an early lead from the best player on the park when Jason Molloy fired home, they had a Ronan Caldwell effort controversially cancelled out by offside flag, before the real punishment came deep in additional time when another mysterious flag cancelled out what appeared to be a good Shane Duggan equaliser.
Overall Garrett Gorman’s side deserved some reward for their efforts as they more than matched the home side, who did their best work in the opening half. With a number of players unavailable, Gorman blooded almost an entire team of newcomers at this level and they made the perfect start when taking the lead on just six minutes.
Former Galway United stalwart Jason Molloy picked up a Gearoid ’Leidhinn throw in about 35 yards from goal and let fly with a shot that flew past a stricken Barry Ryan for a 1-0 advantage. Indeed, the visitors might have made an earlier breakthrough when central defender Conor Mullen luckily deflected a Geoffrey Power shot just over the crossbar.
Now a mess in the visitors rearguard had presented the home side with a goal chance as Ian Collins shot wide, before Clare levelled matters on 15 minutes with a softly conceded free kick on the edge of the box.
A long ball tempted goalkeeper John Egan outside his area and when he upended Eoin Hayes, it gave a shooting chance to Dave McCarthy. The striker made no mistake with a low shot that slid past a wall that was either badly constructed, or the goalkeeper was in the wrong position.
Galway thought that they had regained the lead on 21 minutes when Power collected an O Leidhinn ball down the line and fed Caldwell in the box. The Hibernians striker duly finished from close range, but was inexplicably flagged for offside.
As play ebbed and flowed from end to end, chances were created in both goalmouths. Stephen Kelly and Dave McCarthy went close for the home side, while James Ryan and Declan Cullen did likewise for the visitors.
The Clare matchwinner arrived on 35 minutes when Eoin Hayes was allowed to waltz around two defenders on the end line before side stepping Egan and tapping into an empty net for a 2-1 lead. The goalkeeper collected a hand injury in the incident and was replaced by TJ Forde.
The visitors certainly looked the busier outfit on the restart as Caldwell twice went close while Corrib Celtic’s David Coen also dragged an effort wide. As the contest intensified, it was Galway who looked the side most likely to score and they almost levelled matters on 65 minutes. Substitute Shane Duggan fed Jason Molloy in the box, but his shot was well saved by Ryan, with central defender Stephen Kelly eventually clearing the ball off the line.
Off target efforts by former College and Hibernians player Niall Whelan and Eoin Hynes offered a Clare threat, before Forde had his only save to make when keeping out a Colin Ryan effort. In the last quarter, all the intensity came from Galway, but unfortunately, the reward was not forthcoming as the home defence held firm.
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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