Sports
Galway FC on the brink of clinching promotion after late first leg exploits
GALWAY FC’s match-winning hero against UCD in Belfield has a simple game-plan for Friday night’s second-leg of the promotion final in Eamonn Deacy Park (7.45pm): “Keep a clean sheet and we’re promoted.”
Ryan Manning struck a 90th minute winner on Monday night in the first-leg of the promotion final, a goal that came just 60 seconds after Paddy Barrett had equalised for the Tribesmen to put them in the driving seat to cap a fairytale debut season in the Airtricity League by winning promotion to the Premier Division at the first time of asking.
Speaking to Tribune Sport after the final whistle, the Republic of Ireland U-19 international said the side deserved at least a draw from the game given their second half performance, but acknowledged that securing the win has given the side a great chance of securing promotion.
“We left it late to get a few goals but over the course of the game I thought we deserved a goal. The first half they had one or two chances and scored early, but in second half I felt we got in a good few times and were unlucky not to score early on.
“But then at the end one came and then the second one just happened to fall for me in the box and 2-1 is a good result to take back to Terryland on Friday. But if those goals didn’t come at the end and we had lost 1-0, we’d be saying we only need one goal to get back in it. That is the situation for UCD now, but a clean sheet is all we need, it’s as simple as that,” Manning said.
Galway FC were second best for the opening 45 minutes on Monday night, but they were a side transformed after the half-time break as they had their hosts pinned in their own half for the vast majority of the second-half.
It was a stunning turnaround, but assistant manager Leo Tierney – who was directing operations from the dugout as Tommy Dunne served the second of a two-game ban – said there was only some minor adjustments needed for that change in fortune.
“We just sorted out a few little issues at half-time that we felt were causing us a problem, and the lads were super in the second-half. I thought in the first half we looked a bit tired because we had travelled for two tough games and they were at home, but once we got over that and started playing again, we were very good.
“The key message was composure – we needed to keep our composure, and play the way we have been playing all season. We knew if we kept playing we would create chances, and once we settled down and we kept playing as a team – because we are a team, and that’s what we’re all about – we created chances, and thankfully we took two of them,” he said.
Paddy Barrett set them on the way to a dramatic win with an 89th minute header, and he said the players knew they were capable of a better performance than their first-half showing.
“We came in at half-time and sat down and just needed not to panic. We new that from Friday night when we went one down, we knew not to panic as we have the ability to come back, and once we play like we can play, we’ll always create chances and thankfully we created the chance late on and scored,” he said.
Tommy Dunne is taking a cautious tone for Friday night, saying that the tie is only at the half-time stage yet, but he praised his side’s belief in rescuing last Monday night’s game.
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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