Sports
Galway FC back in big time after rout of UCD
Galway FC 3
UCD 0
(Galway FC win 5-1 on aggregate)
THE ‘Galway United’ name will be back playing Premier Division football next season after the men in maroon completed a 5-1 rout of UCD in the SSE Airtricity League promotion final in Eamonn Deacy Park on Friday night.
Galway FC – who will revert to the name Galway United next season – took a 2-1 lead into the second-leg of the tie from the previous Monday night in Belfield, and when Gary Shanahan found the net on the stroke of half-time on Friday night, the issue was all but resolved. Second-half goals from Ryan Manning and Alex Byrne put the matter beyond all doubt.
It is a remarkable achievement for a side that was cobbled together around Christmas, and it was done by playing some wonderful football. That night not have been the case for the full 90 minutes on Friday night, as understandable nerves played a part in their first-half performance, but once Shanahan found the net, Galway FC played with an authority that suggested they knew their destiny was top-flight football next season.
Alex Byrne missed the Belfield game through injury but he returned for Friday night’s second leg in the only change for the men from the West. UCD, on the other hand, made three changes in personnel, and also abandoned their traditional 4-5-1 formation to play two strikers as they went in search of goals.
That those goals never materialised was down to excellent performances all over the pitch from the home side – it says it all that Connor Gleeson didn’t have a single save to make over the 90 minutes.
Chances were at a premium in a tense first-half in front of an official attendance of 2,890, but that is a figure that doesn’t take into account U-12s who were admitted free of charge, so the real figure is probably closer to 3,300, the biggest crowd for a competitive game at the ground in close to a decade.
Paddy Barrett – a mid-season signing from Waterford United who put in such dominating performances that he was named on the official First Division team of the year – got a block on a Chris Mulhall shot in the fifth minute, but that was as close as the visitors got to Gleeson’s goal in the first half.
The home side weren’t creating much either, although they did pose the bigger threat in attack. Manning had a shot blocked by Hugh Douglas in the 7th minute, and Shanahan mistimed his jump when trying to meet an inviting Manning cross in the 22nd minute.
UCD’s Samir Belhout had a sight of goal in the 23rd minute but his shot from 25 yards was always rising; while at the other end a minute later, Conor O’Donnell got down well to block a Shanahan shot from a narrow angle.
That looked like being the best chance of the first-half as the half-time whistle loomed, but just as the fourth official raised his board to signal two minutes of additional time, the home side struck. A throw-in on the right found Byrne, who played a neat ball for Shanahan.
O’Donnell raced from his line, but the Galway winger showed great composure to slot the ball between the ’keeper’s legs and into the net to signal the start of the promotion celebrations.
Full report in this week’s Connacht 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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