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Dervan and Coone goals steer Mullagh to success

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Athenry's Ian O'Shea is about to be challenged by Mullagh's Cathal Dervan during the clubs' Senior B championship tie at Duggan Park on Sunday evening. Photo: Joe Kease.

Mullagh 2-18

Athenry 0-15

TWO crucial first half goals set Mullagh up for an opening day victory in the Senior B Hurling Championship at Duggan Park, Ballinasloe on Sunday.

Green flags for Cathal Dervan and Finian Coone tilted this tie in favour of the east Galway side before seven unanswered second half points ensured sufficient distance between the teams in the end.

Athenry will have many regrets, especially from the first half when they dominated for most of the period. But seven wides didn’t allow them transfer their possession onto the scoreboard and Mullagh took full advantage of their opportunities.

The winners struggled to settle in the opening exchanges as Athenry were dominating the middle third. Cian Burke got the opening point on three minutes before Ronan Hardiman landed his first free 60 seconds later for an Athenry two point advantage.

But Dessie O’Brien’s team finally managed a scoring chance when Paddy Hardiman set up Donal Reilly in the fifth minute. Reilly looked to have spurned a goal when his effort went across the posts and wide, but referee Michael Haverty had spotted an infringement in the square resulting in a Mullagh penalty. Cathal Dervan sent John Grealish the wrong way to ensure the three-pointer.

Despite this, Athenry looked unfazed and continued to impress with Michael Mullins and Ronan Hardiman contributing two points to make it 0-4 to 1-0.  Dervan responded with a Mullagh free but Burke and Patrick Hannon cancelled that out stretching Athenry’s advantage. Hardiman, however, added two more placed balls by 19 minutes as Mullagh trailed by 0-8 to 1-3.

Athenry were in control but their two point cushion looked little reward for their efforts with Dervan and Coone scoring for Mullagh. And their failure to punish their opponents more severely proved costly as the game’s defining score arrived on 22 minutes.

Not just the finish but the nature of this goal was critical. A long Craig Finnerty clearance looked to have over carried and destined for the left and wide . . . but Coone was proving a nuisance at full forward chasing everything for Mullagh and didn’t relent. A slight touch kept the sliothar in play before and he managed to steer the ball over the line for a second Mullagh goal.

Mullagh were now in front and they finished the half strongly as Coone added two points to his account as they went in 2-5 to 0-8 ahead. It was a blow to Athenry but the break came at the right time and they resumed their task upon the restart.

Despite playing into the wind, Hardiman opened the second half’s scoring but Coone responded for Mullagh. Mark Hannon put his name on Athenry’s tally on 34 minutes before Francis Hardiman did likewise for Mullagh. And when Ronan Hardiman and Damien Fahy from the right converted for the maroon and white, the deficit was now just 2-7 to 0-12.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

 

Connacht Tribune

Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents

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Galway's Aaron Niland is chased by Cillian O'Callaghan of Cork during Saturday's All-Ireland Minor Hurling semi-final at Semple Stadium. Photo: Stephen Marken/Sportsfile.

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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CITY TRIBUNE

United wary of the threat from Treaty

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Galway United’s goal scorer Stephen Walsh gets to grips with Wexford’s Hugh Douglas during Friday's First Division tie at Eamonn Deacy Park. Photos: Joe O'Shaughnessy,

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.

 

 

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CITY TRIBUNE

Devon crowned Women’s Connacht Cup champions

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Luke Byrnes (centre) ceebrates with Paddy Gannon (left) and Sam Omokua afetr scoring his second goal aganist St Bernard's. Photos: Joe O'Shaughnessy.

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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