Sports
It’s double delight for Corrib Celtic in the Connacht Cup
IT was a good weekend for Corrib Celtic as the club registered a double victory in the Connacht Junior Cup and have two teams in the last 16 of the competition as the Annaghadown based club registered home and away victories.
Premier outfit Corrib Celtic A travelled to face Mayo League side Manulla and emerged victorious by a 4-1 margin, courtesy of goals by Brian Burke, Shane Concannon, Keith Greaney (pen) and Ciaran Duggan. Adam McGahon got a lone reply for the home side.
The B team, who are vying for promotion from the Fourth Division, created somewhat of a shock with a 2-1 win over Maree/Oranmore. An Eoin McGrath goal gave the home side an interval advantage, before Conor Murphy levelled matters direct from a corner for the visitors.
Celtic B then struck for the winner when Kevin Fox raced on to a long ball, before getting the better of goalkeeper Nigel Walsh. The visitors had plenty of opportunities to level matters, but a combination of poor finishing and the woodwork was to deny them as Stephen Matthews struck timber twice.
Athenry had matters all their own way as they defeated NUI Galway by 8-0, with Gary Forde (three), Cathal Fahy (two), Colm O’Donovan, Jamie O’Driscoll and Conor Cannon all on the mark for the home side. Unfortunately, St Bernard’s never saw any action as their Sligo opponents Carbury FC conceded the game to the Abbeyknockmoy side.
The holders Mervue United had a comfortable passage with a 2-0 win over Castlerea Celtic under lights in Fahy’s Field. The returning Barry Moran scored in each half as the striker put his injury worries behind him. Bohemians caused the biggest upset of the round as the Third Division side saw off Hibernians by 1-0 in Bohermore. Goalkeeper Alan McDonagh played his part with a good penalty save to thwart Keith Ward and Sean Guinan then struck for the winner in the opening half.
Corrib Rangers comfortably saw off Sligo/Leitrim Super League champions City United by 4-1 at Westside in what was a potentially difficult tie. However, the home side were always in the ascendancy as a weak visitors defence was continuously exposed by the fast breaking Rangers. Former Tuam Celtic winger Danial Burke got the opener for the home side, before exGalway United stalwart Derek O’Brien got his first goal for his new side with a low blast past Martin Ward.
Though Mark McGoldrick pulled one back in a good spell on 39 minutes that was quickly cancelled by a Gerry Dolan strike that gave Rangers a 3-1 interval advantage. The home side totally dominated the second half and only for some poor finishing the margin could have hit double figures. Ronan Sweeney cracked home a stunning volley for the fourth in the closing stages as Brendan O’Connor’s charges strolled into the next round.
West United defeated Dysart by 4-1 with Sean Keogh, Geoffrey Power, James Ryan and Keith Lee all on the mark for the home side in South Park, while Cathal O’Regan scored in the opening minutes as Renmore defeated Skyvalley Rovers by 1-0.
NUI Galway B came from behind as they saw off another Roscommon League side Moore United by 2-1 in Dangan. Colm Tummon slotted in a last minute winner from the penalty spot for the home side, after Adam Duffy had notched the opener for the students.
There was no joy for Dynamo Blues as they suffered a 5-0 defeat at home to Manor Rangers, while three goals in the opening half hour set Ballinasloe Town on the way to a surprisingly comfortable 4-0 away win over Castlebar Celtic. Westport United are always one of the fancied sides in the Connacht Cup and they eased past Strand Celtic by 4-0 in Sligo.
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.
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.
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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