Galway United crowned U-14 Elite champions

Shamrock Rovers 0

Galway United 2

Mike Rafferty in Athlone

Way back in 1982 Galway United defeated Shamrock Rovers twice in the same League of Ireland season for the only time in their history and that team consisted of some of the best local players at that time like Gerry Daly, Kevin Cassidy, Brian Long, Miko Nolan and Gerry Mullen.

Now, 39 years on, and maybe a new generation of home-grown talent is emerging. Time will tell, but on Saturday evening in Athlone, an exciting selection of Galway United players gave an exhibition of football as they were crowned National League Elite U-14 champions.

That they saw off a very talented Shamrock Rovers side just adds to the honour as the famous Hoops generally lay down standards that few can match. Well on this occasion they met a side who toppped them for quality and ability and were worthy winners with early and late goals of contrasting styles.

Having gone through their entire league campaign with just one defeat and drawn 1-1 with Shamrock Rovers in their last group game, Galway United really upped their game in the knockout stages as a 4-0 quarter-final win over St Patrick’s Athletic was followed up with a 6-1 semi-final victory over Cobh Ramblers.

Those games in successive weeks just had them finely tuned for Saturday’s final, and they certainly laid down an early marker for after just 2 minutes, striker Donnacha Sammon broke in from the right wing and it took a smart reflex save by Jack Ellis to deflect the effort out for a corner.

Good fortune is sometimes as important as good quality and the lead goal on 8 minutes could be classed in that category. Sammon was instrumental in winning possession on the right side of the attack and then the supporting right-full Denis Sirbu took over, and after making a little ground he swung over a cross shot that went beyond the reach of Ellis and into the back of the net for a 1-0 advantage.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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