Sports
Ahascragh/Fohenagh ready to atone for past heartache
WHEN predictions were being made at the outset of 2016, few would have envisaged Ballinderreen and Ahascragh/ Fohenagh meeting in the Galway Intermediate Hurling Final at Kenny Park, Athenry on Sunday (2:15pm).
Granted, there would have been some who would have thought Ahascragh/Fohenagh, having contested finals in 2012 and 2014, would have been there or thereabouts but it was the likes of Kinvara and Oranmore/Maree who would have been seen as the frontrunners for this title.
The resurgence of Ballinderreen though has made this a novel pairing. Relegated from senior in 2008, the club continued to go into decline in the intermediate grade in the aftermath of their fall from grace. On this front, their story is no different to that of the vast majority of rural clubs around the country.
Two and a half years ago though, Ballinderreen hit a wall when a defeat to Kilbeacanty brought home the realisation that the slide was not being arrested – or would it be – without somebody taking ownership of the situation. In many respects, it had to come from the players . . . and it did.
Only 23 years of age, player Robbie Lane took the proverbial bulls by the horns after the set-up and the then manager parted ways following that defeat to Kilbeacanty who, Lane admits, had just blown Ballinderreen away with their work-rate and intensity around the park.
It was not that Kilbeacanty had players any better or worse than Ballinderreen but they were maximising their resources. Ballinderreen weren’t. “I thought there was more to be gotten out of the lads than a lot of people thought,” he begins.
“We didn’t want much disruption because we had to get a result after that to stay in the championship so I decided to take it on. A friend mentioned Fergal (Healy) would be interested in doing a bit of coaching and I rang him and from there on things just began to get better.
“Everything has gone so well and there has been no back step. Getting over the quarter-final this year was the main goal because we had fallen down on that the last couple of years. Thankfully, we achieved that.”
Ballinderreen, however, had rolled the dice a bit. They returned to training later than usual, believing the players had peaked too early last year which resulted in them bowing out to this weekend’s opponents Ahascragh/Fohenagh at the quarter-final stage.
Although Ballinderreen secured victory over Kilconieron in their championship opener, the late start meant they were not quite up to speed when they met title contenders Oranmore/Maree and Ahascragh/Fohenagh in the group stages.
Defeats in those dictated they had to win one of their last two group ties against Annaghdown and Rahoon/Newcastle at the very least. They won both; following this up with a 2-13 to 0-7 win over Kilbeacanty in the quarter-final; before ambushing neighbours Kinvara in the semi-final.
“Both teams didn’t really know what to expect from each other because we hadn’t played each other in league or a challenge or anything,” continues Lane, who also lauds Mark Lane for the work he has put in behind the scenes to get them to this point in the championship in 2016.
For more, see this week’s Connacht 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
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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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