Sports
Champions Corofin look a class apart as Co. title race kicks off
SENIOR club football championship returns for another year as All-Ireland club conquerors Corofin kick off the defence of their Galway title with a potentially tricky opener against old rivals Salthill/Knocknacarra at Kenny Park, Athenry on Saturday.
While there will be some changes in the Corofin line-up due to injuries and retirements, manager Stephen Rochford should still have a strong squad at his disposal for a first round tie against a somewhat unknown quantity in Salthill/Knocknacarra.
Now under the direction of former Galway forward Val Daly, it would appear the City outfit has begun a rebuilding programme by turning to a plethora of younger players with the prolific Sean Armstrong and several others no longer involved.
At any rate, Daly has a job on his hands against the top team in the country this week. For while Salthill/Knocknacarra may have contested a county final just two years ago – losing to Corofin – and, indeed, won the Frank Fox Cup in 2012, their star has been on the wane since then.
That said, it will be an interesting weekend of football with – and this is open to correction – five fixtures pitting teams against each other in senior championship action for the first time, namely Mountbellew/Moylough v St. James’, Caltra v Kilkerrin/Clonberne, Annaghdown v Carna Caiseal, St. Michael’s v Cortoon Shamrocks and Tuam Stars v Kilconly.
Although some of these have clashed in league matches, a trawl through the records would indicate these are novel SFC ties. What is also novel about this weekend is that of the 20 senior clubs in action, only six return with the same manager they had in 2014. These are Billy Joyce (Killererin), John Concannon (Milltown), Frank Doherty (St. James’), John Kenny (St. Michael’s), Alan Flynn (Tuam Stars) and, of course, Rochford (Corofin). An amazing turnover.
Meanwhile, the weekend’s championship action kicks off with the intermediate football meeting of 2014 Connacht junior holders, Aran Islands, against Monivea/Abbey at Pearse Stadium on Friday. (See fixtures for details of intermediate championship games).
SATURDAY
Corofin v Salthill/Knocknacarra
(Kenny Park, Athenry, 3pm)
It is back to brass tacks for All-Ireland champions Corofin and manager Stephen Rochford. Since claiming the Andy Merrigan Cup, there have been changes aplenty in the panel, with forwards Gary Delaney and Alan O’Donovan dropping back to intermediate and Ciaran McGrath (knee), Kieran Fitzgerald (knee), Greg Higgins (hip) and Daithí Burke (hand) all sidelined through injury.
Galway U-21s Kieran Molloy and Colm Brady have been added to the senior panel although it remains to be seen if they will see action in the opening round as they are currently exam-tied. Consequently, the onus will be on their county contingent, including Gary Sice and Michael Lundy, to lead the charge on Saturday.
Salthill/Knocknacarra has turned to former Galway sharpshooter Val Daly to lead them back to prosperity. With the two Armstrongs – Gearoid and Sean – no longer involved, and Gearóid Canavan having emigrated to the United States, it is understood Salthill/Knocknacarra will turn to youth, in particular their current U-21 side. Defender Conor Halloran is 2015 captain.
Verdict: Corofin.
Last SFC meeting: 2013 (County Final) Corofin 2-13, Salthill/Knocknacarra 0-7.
Match odds: Corofin 1/8; Draw 12/1; Salthill/Knocknacarra 5/1.
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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