Sports
Galway’s hard grafting helps to tear the Rossies asunder
THE build-up to Galway’s ninth point in the Connacht Final replay, in a nutshell, tells us a lot about the character of this team.
It came in the 30th minute, when Galway, having torn Roscommon asunder from the off, were 2-8 to 0-3 in front.
Paul Conroy was challenging in the air for possession with his Roscommon midfield counterpart, Cathal Compton, from Darren O’Malley’s kick-out.
The St James’ clubman had no right to get it. But the ball broke and Conroy stretched every inch of his body along the ground to get a foot to it ahead of Compton; it hit off him and bounced out of play for a Galway sideline.
From there, Johnny Heaney combined with Damien Comer, who was fouled again, and Shane Walsh converted the free.
A dirtier ball you’re unlikely to see. It wasn’t even a 50/50 ball. It was 80/20 stacked in favour of the Roscommon man. And when you’re 11 points up and cruising, it was easier for Conroy to just let Compton have it.
But that sort of work-rate and sheer stubbornness and unwillingness to concede possession was one of the main reasons Galway was leading by that margin in the first place.
Kevin Walsh in his playing days wouldn’t have shied away from stretching every sinew for that ball – his fingerprints were all over the work rate and industry shown by his charges all day.
The Galway forwards pushed up, narrowed the options, which seemed to throw O’Malley, who had successfully deployed a short kick-out strategy to corner-backs in the drawn game the week previous in Salthill.
Conroy is one of the finest exponents of high fielding in the game, and so as well as scrapping for breaks, he soared at centre-field to catch fine first-half kick-outs cleanly.
Thomas Flynn had a big impact on proceedings, too, winning four kick-outs in the opening half. His goal against Mayo was a game-changer in the provincial semi-final but there was much more to admire about the way he applied himself, and threw himself into the action, in Castlebar last Sunday. Roscommon midfielder Niall Daly, who was influential in the drawn game at Pearse Stadium, was almost anonymous in the replay as Flynn and Conroy destroyed Roscommon at midfield.
That centre-field platform secured sufficient possession to allow the forwards to run amuck. Just like the drawn game, the conversion rate of chances in the first 10 or 12 minutes was slack – the forwards always looked lively though, scoring three points, even if they recorded three wides and two shots dropping short in that opening period.
The devastating spell came between the 20th and 30th minute when Galway hit 2-5 against a solitary white flag. Goalkeeper Bernard Power soloed out to his own ‘45 before clearing up field, it fell kindly to in-form Eamonn Brannigan and he laid it off to Danny Cummins, whose finish was top-class. Ruthless, the Claregalway man’s strike had power and precision that proved unstoppable.
It’s funny how it could be contender for goal of the year, and yet still it may not have been the best goal of this match. Gary Sice’s one that followed was also an absolute cracker, although Fintan Cregg will have nightmares about the dummy he bought and the ease at which he allowed the Galway forward shimmy by him before pulling the trigger.
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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