Sports
Caulfield’s late goals carry the day for Loughrea boys
St. Raphael’s 3-13
St. Cuan’s 0-13
THIS entertaining Connacht Schools Senior B Hurling Final last Saturday entertained those attending in Ballinasloe as two late Conor Caulfield goals secured victory for St. Raphael’s of Loughrea.
St. Cuan’s, Castleblakney had weathered the storm and when Sean Bleahene put over his fifth point on 56 minutes to level, the smart betting was on Jim Minogue’s team. After trailing by four at half-time, the north Galway school were enjoying the better of the second period.
But missed chances earlier would come home to roost as St. Raphael’s were more clinical over the hour. Nine points was a flattering margin of victory, but the winners did make the chances count.
Bleahene had opened for St. Cuan’s within 24 seconds but the first quarter belonged to St. Raphael’s who built a 0-6 to 0-2 lead. That wasn’t before Bleahene had another opportunity with the Ahascragh/Fohenagh forward unfortunate to see a fierce effort blaze across the goal. But when Brian Keary opened St. Raphael’s account, Francis Forde’s team started getting on top.
Kevin Cooney had a strong first half for St. Raphael’s and sent over a point from the right wing. He doubled his tally in the ninth minute before Caulfield provided Joseph Fox for their fourth white flag. St. Cuan’s were struggling but Darragh Glynn took Dylan Ryan’s pass for their second minor on 14 minutes, leaving it 0-4 to 0-2.
St. Raphael’s continued with Cooney sending over an excellent sideline cut and when Darren Morrissey added an equally sublime point from play, the Loughrea side were dominant.
Cuan’s got back into proceedings in the final 10 minutes of the half and hit four scores in three minutes. Captain Mark Kelly grabbed a brace, including one delivered by Eoghan Delaney while Bleahene was proving a thorn with two white flags.
But St. Raphael’s only score in this period was a green flag as Caulfield’s ball from the right was met by Caimin Killeen for the touch and the East Galway school led by 1-6 to 0-6.
Cooney and Keary added placed balls before half-time while Mark Kelly responded for St. Cuan’s but goal chances were aplenty. Raphael’s Daniel Lally was denied by the crossbar while Martin McManus saw another chance stopped by Dean Reilly. At the other end, Bleahene’s goal attempt was stopped by the composed handling of keeper Evan Dowling.
At 1-8 to 0-7, this provincial final was still alive. Kelly’s early free reduced arrears for St. Cuan’s and when Reilly and Ryan laid the platform on 38 minutes for Micheal Glynn to run down the left, the Skehana player’s point left the deficit at just two.
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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