Sports
Galway women on brink of history after pulling off surprise semi-final win
THE NUIG ladies soccer team is making the headlines following their victory over Maynooth in the Premier Division Cup semi-final. This is the first time in the history of the University that the ladies team has reached this stage, the pinacle of women’s college soccer.
Maynooth got the lucky toss of the coin for this game, with NUIG having to make the two hour journey to county Kildare. This did appear to take its toll on the away team, with the starting 11 starting quite sluggish.
The first 45 minutes were a tight affair overall, with both sides having chances yet nothing too clear-cut. Galway’s Ciara Lynagh and Maebh Coleman dominated central midfield in the opening half, with both working hard in helping out the defence.
Galway created a few chances down the right, with full back Aoife Walsh linking up well with winger Eimear Foley. Maynooth’s main threat Amber Barrett, one of the league’s top scorers, was well marshalled at the back by Laura O’Carroll and Rosa Shine throughout the first half.
For the opening five minutes of the second half, NUIG dropped their concentration levels and this was all it took for Barrett to swoop in and score the opening goal of the game.
With a deficit to overturn, it would have been easy for heads to drop on the Galway side, the clear underdogs for this game. However this is a team brimming with confidence and self belief, and the 1-0 scoreline seemed to spur them on to play even more probing football.
Erasmus student Kara Shue used her fantastic pace to beat the Maynooth defence and score the equaliser, much to the delight of managers John Hynes and Padraic de Burca.
Striker Lisa Casserly then struck a wonderful free kick only moments later, which was well saved by the home keeper, who could do nothing about the follow up from Paula McGrory however.
In an incredible ten-minute turnaround, Lisa Casserly put the NUI Galway side 3-1 up with a neat finish to a cross from another international student Ella McMackin.
Tori D’Acunto put the game to bed in the dying minutes with a superb strike to make it a total of four goals for NUIG. Shauna Fox and Bridget Westermann kept the defence tight throughout this half to ensure a 4-1 win for the travelling team.
Biggest congratulations must go to captain Jennifer Byrne who was terrific throughout, and goalkeeper Louise Creaven who undoubtedly kept the Galway side in the game with a handful of top class saves.
The Premier Division Cup Final will take place the end of February, where NUIG will take on the winners of Carlow IT/UUJ. The venue has yet to be decided.
It represents a fine achievement for both the sports club and indeed the college. The team will now be hoping to go one step further and become Irish cup champions.
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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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.
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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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