Sports
City clubs in upbeat mood for new AIL campaign
FOR Galway City’s AIL clubs, Galwegians and Corinthians, it’s ‘come the day, come the hour’ as they kick off their Ulster Bank Division 1B League campaigns against Dublin University and Ballymena respectively this Saturday (both 2:30pm).
Newly promoted Galwegians, managed by Barney Moran and under the tuition of head coach Matt Browne and assistant coach John Muldoon, host Dublin University – a side which will look to avoid the fate they had to endure on the opening day of last season when they were hammered 25-7 at home by Corinthians.
Moran says his outfit has been preparing well under Brown, who took over from his namesake Corey Brown this season, and Connacht captain Muldoon. “In fairness, John (Muldoon) was there last year with Corey Brown,” says Moran.
“Corey is not around this season due to other commitments and we got in Matt Brown. He has fitted in very well and he is building on what John and Corey worked on last year. So, certainly they are working very closely together and things have been going well.”
Heading into Saturday’s fixture against Dublin University – and, indeed, the season ahead – Moran is optimistic. “We are going well at the minute. Training has been going well. Hopefully, we can have a good season and build on last year’s.
“Definitely, I can’t see why we can’t be optimistic, especially after what we achieved last year (topped the Division 2A table). If we build on last year and work hard – or harder than last year – we can’t see why we won’t be pushing,” said the manager.
Captained this year by Jarlath Naughton, among the new faces to join the Galwegians set-up this year are former Dunmore captain Martin Cummins – who played underage at the club – and Ballyhaunis full-back John Pierre Jefferies. However, they have lost players, including Eoin Rooney, Dan McCabe and Dave Nolan.
Meanwhile, Corinthians – under Head Coach Pat Cunningham, who was assistant to Phil Pretorius last season – travel to Ballymena to a face a side that makes its return to Division 1B after being demoted from this tier at the end of their 2012/13 campaign.
Captained by outside centre James Buckley, Corinthians have added a host of new faces to their squad including New Zealand out-half Nathan Langsford, centre Charlie Ryan, winger Darren Griffin, loosehead prop Jamie Dever, dead-ball kicker Phillip Maher and Headford native Alan Bane.
“Preparations have been very good, excellent actually,” states Head Coach Cunningham, who will be looking to improve on Corinthians fourth place finish last term. “We have a very good squad, having added a few players to it this season.”
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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