Sports
Galway United pay hefty price for poor defending
Bohemian FC 2
Galway United 0
GALWAY United were punished for poor defending in Dalymount Park on Friday night as a Bohemians side that is just about the far side of ordinary ran out comfortable winners against the top-flight newcomers.
It was a poor performance from Tommy Dunne’s side, though that won’t be held against them considering the run of results, and performances, that they put in to secure promotion at the end of last season.
However, if they are to avoid an immediate return to the First Division, they will need to sharpen up on a lot of areas of their play, and in particular, defending set-pieces.
Five of the six goals United have conceded in their three competitive games to date have been from set-pieces, including the two goals the home side scored on Friday night – something is seriously wrong and it needs to be urgently addressed by Dunne and his coaching staff.
The home side stuck with the same starting XI that opened the season with a 3-0 win away to Limerick, but the visitors made three changes to the side beaten by Derry City. One of those was enforced after David O’Leary went over on his ankle in training midweek – Alex Byrne replaced him in midfield, while Jason Molloy and Marc Ludden also came into the side in place of Jake Keegan and Andy O’Connell respectively.
Like a couple of cagey boxers, both sides moved and jabbed in the first five minutes without ever landing a blow, but when Bohs launched their first meaningful attack of the game in the 6th minute, they landed a knockout blow.
Ludden conceded a cheap free out wide in line with the United penalty area, and when Lorcan Fitzgerald sent in an inswinger, Anto Murphy rose above Enda Curran highest to power a header past Connor Gleeson.
United had a couple of half-chances to equalise two minutes later, but Dean Delany was down bravely at the feet of Curran to smother the danger; and 30 seconds later, Gary Shanahan found Molloy on the edge of the box but he completely miskicked and the ball bobbled harmlessly wide.
They were sporadic threats, however, as it was the home side who always looked more likely to score. Dean Kelly peeled away from Stephen Walsh at the other end two minutes later but headed over from an Adam Evans cross. United did enjoy a decent five-minute spell of good possession, but it was all played in the middle of the park as they struggled to penetrate a solid-looking Bohs defence.
The home side had a clear advantage in midfield, exemplified in the 36th minute when Robert Lopes skated past the challenges of Byrne, Ryan Connolly and Paul Sinnott, but Walsh halted his progress with a perfectly-timed tackle in the box.
The visitors were almost undone for a second time from a set-piece in the 40th minute when Derek Prendergast was given the freedom of the United penalty area to get on the end of Fitzgerald’s corner from the left, but he headed straight at Gleeson.
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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