Sports
Full back Donoghue sidelined for Galway U-21s semis clash
KILNADEEMA/Leitrim full-back Darragh O’Donoghue is out of Galway U-21s All-Ireland semi-final clash against Munster champions Limerick at Semple Stadium, Thurles on Saturday (6pm).
O’Donoghue was forced to retire with a hamstring injury from the Tribesmen’s All-Ireland intermediate hurling final victory over Cork a fortnight ago and his unavailability will certainly impact on Galway’s chances in this one.
For while Galway are not short of options from eight to 15, they do not enjoy the same strength and depth in terms of personnel at the back. They could well be stretched. That said, captain Paul Killeen, Barry Keane and Shane Cooney have seen inter-county action between senior or intermediate this year.
In addition, the likes of Declan Cronin and Sean Sweeney are others on the fringes who have the capacity to step up. If need be, Eanna Burke could also be an option as he did line out at corner back for the Galway minors in 2012.
Again though, Donoghue will be a loss. “Darragh had been playing particularly well in the intermediate run,” acknowledges manager Johnny Kelly, “but, unfortunately, he picked up his injury just before half-time in the intermediate final. I suppose, Barry Keane came on and did a good job for us that day.”
Further up the park, Kelly and his management team of Tony Keady, Keith Carr and Liam Donoghue have no such issues, given the majority of the likely stand-out contributors come from their attack. These include Galway seniors Cathal Mannion, Jason Flynn and Conor Whelan.
With Daniel Nevin, Brian Molloy, Eanna Burke and Éamon Brannigan impressing for the county’s intermediates in their successful All-Ireland campaign, they, along with the seniors, will be the frontrunners to line out in the Galway attack on Saturday, although Ronan O’Meara, Jamie Ryan, Michael Mullins and Jason Kennedy have also submitted strong cases for inclusion.
From that intermediate triumph, Tommy Larkins midfielder Kevin McHugo was hugely impressive and a likely partner for him in this sector would be St. Thomas’ Eanna Burke, who lined out in the half-forward line for the intermediates, or Daniel Nevin. The nod may just go to the latter.
“The intermediate was a really good help to us,” says Kelly. “The fact we got three good games, it gave the players championship experience and that is what we are always looking for. The big thing was that we came in the same time as Kilkenny in the championship and that we would be on a level playing field.
“So, the three games would have helped our guys greatly, along with the experience of the seniors. That said, Tuesday was the first time we had the full panel, owing to the fact that Galway (seniors) have been very successful this year. Hopefully we get the blend right and go ahead and win on Saturday.”
As for Limerick, they come into Saturday’s semi-final on the back of victories over Tipperary and Clare in the Munster semi-final and final respectively. Both games were thrillers, with six goals netted in the first and, remarkably, none in the other.
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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