Sports
Controversial injury time spot kick wins day for Mervue Utd
Corrib Rangers 1
Mervue United 2
EIGHT minutes into additional time Dara Ryan slotted home the match winning penalty as Mervue United reclaimed the top spot in the Premier Division at Laurel Park on Sunday morning.
That is the edited version of what summed up a chaotic few final minutes as a good sporting contest was decided by a controversial decision in the latter stages of a contest between the top two in the table.
The game was in the 95th minute when a Simon Walsh shot struck the hand of Gary Murray in the box. The defender’s hand was down by his side and while both players were in reasonable close proximity to one another – it certainly was a case of ball to hand.
To the surprise of most, referee Mark Lynch pointed to the spot and awarded Mervue United a penalty. Amid the turmoil, he issued red cards to Murray (second yellow) and goalkeeper Martin Rice for unsavoury comments directed at the match official.
In a competitive contest, it was the visitors who enjoyed the greater opportunities in the opening half, as the home side struggled to get out of the blocks. However, Rangers certainly offered the greater finishing threat on the resumption but they missed a number of chances to kill off the match.
Former Rangers player Barry Moran was in the midst of the early Mervue chances as a 10th minute shot was saved by Rice before a Jason Murphy goal line clearance also denied him a breakthrough. The visitors made it 1-0 on 21 minutes when an Alex Lee corner caused chaos in the home rearguard and after various rebounds, it appeared to enter the net off the body of Murray for an own goal that he could do little about.
Mike Tierney headed an Arron Finnerty cross wide, while at the other end Mervue custodian Peter Healy had a comfortable half, with just a Martin O’Connell shot extending him before the break.
While the home side offered a greater challenge on the resumption, they never extended Healy until he had to pick the ball out of the net on 74 minutes. David Goldbey provided the assist with a pass to Brian Connolly and he drilled the equaliser beyond the goalkeeper.
Mervue threatened a response as a Concannon strike from 25 yards got the better of Rice, but rebounded off a post on 81 minutes. That let off appeared to sting Rangers into a reply and a Ger Bane advance from the back, culminated in a shot that was saved by Healy before the goalkeeper excelled with a stop to deny Goldbey in a one on one situation on 84 minutes.
Three minutes from time, the striker had another chance to win it when his header drifted just wide of an open goal, after a Healy clearance dropped to him on the edge of the area. At the other end, Adam Lee and Simon Walsh reigned in unsuccessful shots on goal and the visitors continued to threaten as the game entered the surprisingly lengthy period of additional time.
Four successive Walsh corners were all dealt with by the home rearguard before the late penalty drama was all the talk of the ground nas Mervue escaped with a win that saw them return to the top of the table for the first time since the early weeks of the season.
Corrib Rangers: Rice, Preston-Kelly (Clarke h/t), Murray, Bane, Embulie, Murphy, Sibanda (Smith 85mins), Barbu, Goldbey (Yaho 97mins), Connolly, O’Connell.
Mervue United: Healy, Finnerty, Browne, McHugh (Adam Lee 83mins), Connolly, Deacy, Alex Lee (S Walsh h/t), McWalter, Tierney, Moran (Ryan 67mins), Concannon.
Referee: Mark Lynch.
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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