Sports
Corofin boss Rochford pays tribute to players for delivering against Ballintubber
COROFIN manager Stephen Rochford said that before their Connacht final clash with Balllintubber they had targeted the midfield sector as a key area . . . and it was a plan that worked.
Ballintubber had looked strong at midfield in their games against St. Brigids and Castlebar with Jason Gibbons and Stephen Broderick in good form, but the Corofin ploy of pulling back Greg Higgins into a sweeping role just behind Ronan Steede and Daithí Burke worked like a dream.
“We did target midfield and I suppose after the first 10 minutes of the match, we won a lot of ball around that area. Greg Higgins’ return after injury has been a big boost to us – he has given us more options around this sector,” Rochford told Tribune Sport.
He said that Corofin’s strong performance around the midfield sector had a spin-off impact all over the pitch. “It meant that the supply of ball into the Ballintubber danger men like Alan Dillon and Cillian O’Connor was greatly reduced while our own forward were getting a lot of quality early ball,” he said.
While Corofin’s big scores and quickfire attacking play may have grabbed the headlines all season, the Crossmolina sideline man, was quick to praise the work of his defence, all through the match.
“For nearly the first 55 minutes of the match we restricted the Ballintubber attack to just one point from play and I think that this was a fair tribute to our defence.
“We defended all the way from our forward line back and given the quality of the Ballintubber forwards, I had to be very happy with our overall defensive effort,” said the Crossmolina man.
This is his second year involved with Corofin in a management capacity – last year he was joint manager with David Morris but this time around, he took on the job himself, with the help of Trevor Burke, Ger Keane, Kevin O’Brien and P. J. Reilly.
Margins of victory in matches mean nothing to Stephen Rochford and he said that on the Sunday morning of the match, he would have gladly settled for a one point success.
“The lads have put in a huge effort this year and last Sunday’s win was hugely satisfying for us all. We never for one second under-estimated Ballintubber and I think every one of our players turned in good performances,” he said.
The Corofin manager though stoutly declined to comment on what might lie ahead for Corofin in 2015. “I’ve learned at this stage to look no further than the next game ahead. We always respect our opponents and this week, we’re preparing for a county league final against Annaghdown on Sunday.
“We’re also in a John Dunne Cup final while we have to plan for our trip to London on December 14 in Ruislip for our quarter-final match with Tir Chonaill Gaels. At this stage, that’s well far enough to look ahead,” added Rochford.
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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