Sports
Attack-minded Corofin and Ballintubber to test rival defences in Connacht final
GIVEN both Corofin and Ballintubber seem to be embracing the ethos of ‘goals win games’ in their current campaigns, the Connacht senior club football decider at McHale Park, Castlebar on Sunday (2pm) should be a fascinating spectacle.
Usually, finalists play down their strengths heading into a contest of this magnitude – giving little away to the press and, more importantly, the opposition – but, on this occasion, both management teams have been approaching this one with refreshing honesty.
Corofin selector Trevor Burke – one of the club’s iconic figures, boasting of 11 county, five Connacht and a precious All-Ireland club medal (1998) – doesn’t shy away from the topic of both sides’ rich goal-scoring form going into this provincial showpiece.
“I think Ballintubber have 20 goals and we have 21 goals scored in our [respective] championship games so it will be interesting to see from a sideline point of view how both teams will go about trying to curb opportunities for goals. It could turn out to be a defensive enough sort of scenario but you would be hoping it will be open football.
“We are under no illusions though. We have a huge task ahead of ourselves. Cillian O’Connor is probably one of the best players in the country at the moment and Alan Dillon has been one of the country’s top five players the last number of years,” says 41-year-old Burke who, just recently, played a key part in Galway’s All-Ireland Masters victory.
With Corofin rampaging their way to a 16th county senior title – and dismissing Aughawillan of Leitrim with the utmost of ease in their Connacht semi-final – this joust with the Mayo champions will, beyond doubt, be their stiffest test of 2014. It’s not lost on Burke.
“We could only play what has come up against us but you could say that this is the test on Sunday. Ballintubber have beaten the runners-up of the All-Ireland club final 2014 (Castlebar Mitchells) and then the All-Ireland champions of 2013 (St. Brigid’s) last day out. So, you won’t get a bigger test than this.”
Of course, when these two last met in the Connacht championship in 2011, there was only a single point between them – Corofin seizing the day on a 1-11 to 2-7 scoreline. It was a game though that Mayo ace O’Connor finished with a personal tally of 2-3.
“Yeah, there was only a point between us last time out and Ballintubber probably feel a bit hard done by with that result because Cillian missed a goal where he mis-kicked the ball late on and I think Daithí Burke might have come back and dispossessed him for another one.
“So, there was nothing between the two teams back then and we were lucky to get out of the lion’s den on that occasion. We are not expecting any different from them this time around. It will be very similar and if we can get out with a point win, we will be happy.”
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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