Sports
Dunne demands improvement from Galway FC
It was a measure of Galway FC manager Tommy Dunne’s expectations for the season that he was far from happy with his team’s performance on Friday night.
Despite recodring a 1-0 win over Waterford United, Dunne was disappointed by the attitude of the players after their heroics on the road against Longford Town and Premier Division leaders Dundalk over the previous two weekends and felt they should have dominated on home soil.
“We needed somebody to grab it by the scruff of the neck, somebody who was a little bit more aggressive, maybe, than the rest. We have good players and good leaders, but sometimes we might need a little bully in there as well. From that aspect, I don’t think we have any lads who are bullies at all,” said Dunne afterwards.
Even though the home side dominated the opening half, he was disappointed by how few chances they created against a Waterford side who had lost five of their previous six Airtricity League games.
The pressure was on Galway FC to deliver – instead, the home supporters were relieved to see them escape with all three points after rarely threatening Kevin Burns in the Waterford goals.
“We made hard work if it I think. In the first half we had a number of chances to be one or two up, without playing any way well in a sense,” said Dunne.
“In the second half, we were sloppy starting off and Conor Gleeson pulled off a penalty save. You get that luck and it’s ‘swings and roundabouts’ over the course of a season. Maybe we deserved it, but to be truthful I am a little bit disappointed with the performance.”
He said he expected his players to have “the urgency and the drive” to see off a Waterford side who are far from the strongest in the division, although he praised the work-rate of the youthful visitors.
“In fairness to Waterford, in the second half they tried to press us high up the pitch. For us as a team, you have to realise that when a team does certain things you have to counteract by doing something different. And we kept doing the same thing,” said Dunne.
“Waterford caused us a few problems. We are a team who are capable of playing both shorter and longer, especially with Jake Keegan in the team. Overall, we did not perform to the best we possibly could tonight, but I think the three points are most important.”
After being underdogs against both Longford and Dundalk, Dunne said he expected his players to cope with the status of favourites on Friday night.
“Between now and the end of the season, we cannot really be making mistakes, because we cannot afford to make mistakes. Having Waterford here at home, we have to pick up three points,” said the Galway boss.
“You have to take responsibility and be able to relish it. Tonight I did not feel we were up for the game in the way we should have been, in certain areas of the pitch. It’s ok being up for Longford and Dundalk, but these games will allow you to have bigger games in a season. So, for us as a group, we need to be able to take the pressure that comes with being favourites and deal with it.”
Dunne had hoped to see more variation in Galway’s play as Waterford continued to frustrate his side’s attacks and he was at least pleased that the home players kept their composure until Paddy Barrett got the all-important goal late in the first half.
On a positive note, they had taken all three points ahead of next Sunday’s trip to Shamrock Rovers ‘B’ and the home tie against Finn Harps on Saturday, September 20.
“We are in the mix, but you have to take the game on its merits and I feel we should have been better and we weren’t,” added Dunne.
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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