Sports
Connolly to the rescue for West in Junior Cup encounter
West United 3
Colemanstown United 3
(Aet – West won 4-3 on pens)
WEST United goalkeeper Aaron Connolly provided all the late heroics as his side defeated Colemanstown United by 4-3 on penalties, after the teams had finished level at 3-3 following extra time in Sunday’s FAI Junior Cup contest at South Park.
His two penalty saves secured the home side’s passage as they limped past a Colemanstown side which finished with nine players, while West were also a man down, as they finished with ten.
In the contest itself, it was the visitor’s who took an early lead as Tom Flannery fired them ahead, before goals by Geoffrey Power, Shane Keogh and Sean Keogh had the home side 3-1 up at the break. The dismissals certainly left matters very much in favour of West, but their inability to take their chances was to cost them dearly as Colemanstown United fought back to level matters at 3-3.
Ray Moran pulled one back with a shot past Connolly from inside the box and after the goalkeeper was penalised by referee Vincent Carew for an infringement, Moran touched the resulting indirect free kick to Ronan Geraghty and the defender blasted home to tie up matters. When extra time could not separate the sides, the contest was eventually decided on penalties as West United prevailed by 4-3.
Shane Keogh, Geoffrey Power, Barry McEntee and John Mulligan were all on the mark for the home side, with Richie Lally, Ronan Geraghty and Ray Moran responding for the visitors. West goalkeeper Connolly played his part with saves to deny Fergal Flannery and new signing Stephen Rabbitte.
Cup Summary
Goalkeepers Brian O’Donoghue and Neil Joyce were kept busy with some impressive shot stopping as Mervue United eventually saw off Corrib Celtic by 1-0 in Fahy’s Field.
In a contest in which plenty of chances were created, a first half Keith McHugh header following a Jason Molloy corner was enough to separate the sides in a close contest. Brian Burke, Cian Forde and Laurance Forde all had opportunities for the visitors, but couldn’t find a way past O’Donoghue.
At Millar’s Lane, Bohemians certainly put it up to Athenry before the visitors eventually prevailed by 2-1 following extra time. Scoreless at the break, a Colm O’Donovan shot put Athenry ahead, before Sean Guinan levelled matters for the home side in the closing stages. Eventually, a Cathal Fahy goal settled the issue in extra time as Seamie Crowe’s charges had a timely escape.
Scoreless at the break, second half goals by Bryan McGhee and Darren Creaven secured a 2-0 away win for Loughrea over an understrength St Bernard’s in Abbeyknockmoy as they followed up a recent 1-1 draw in league action at the same venue.
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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