Sports
Gantley brothers to the fore in clear-cut win over struggling Kiltormer outfit
Beagh 1-16
Kiltormer 0-6
David Killarney in Loughrea
BEAGH claimed their first victory in the hurling championship on Saturday night thanks to a resounding 13-point victory over Kiltormer in Loughrea. Ten points from the Gantley brothers spearheaded a convincing win with six other scorers also contributing in a good day all round for the men from south Galway.
The black and amber side’s stop-start beginning to the championship eventually resulted in a win following a loss and a draw to Tommy Larkins and Killimordaly respectively. The defeat for Kiltormer means that it is a third loss in a row for Dara Glynn’s men with group leaders Tommy Larkins the next fixture for a team flirting with relegation.
Beagh started the match off brightly and went two points in front through a free from Rory Gantley and a great strike from Adrian Tuohy after gathering up a loose ball 40 yards out. Centre back Keith Kilkenny hit back for Kiltormer with an excellent free from inside his own ’65 before Darren Hopkins levelled up the game with a point from 50 yards after a great run by full back Shane Staunton.
Kevin Keehan then put Beagh back in front with a close range free after midfielder Jamie Diviney was brought down cynically by Patrick Cormican as he was bearing down on goal. Beagh extended the lead through Joe Gantley after a quick free from brother Rory eventually ended up with the full forward who struck over.
Kiltormer’s high work rate was keeping them toe to toe with Beagh as Cormican fired over a fine score from 50 yards after being found by corner forward Michael Dolan to bring the deficit back to one point. Subsequently, two frees from Gantley ensured his team continued to force the pace amid signs that Kiltormer were struggling to maintain their early intensity.
A quick free from Gantley then led to Padraig Landers firing over his first of the night as referee Peter Murphy sent the teams in for half time with Beagh up by four points. With Kiltormer struggling to create chances, it was Beagh who were proving the more clinical of the two with their opponents looking light up front.
Kiltormer’s Diarmuid Claffey opened the scoring in the second period with a free after being fouled. The corner forward was moments later involved in a controversial incident on 36 minutes when Claffey appeared to have got his side level with a goal only for referee Murphy and his umpires to give Beagh a puck out after the ball was adjudged to have gone wide and not through a hole in the corner of the net. Joe Gantley then rubbed more salt into Kiltormer’s wounds with a point from all of 70 yards to increase Beagh’s advantage.
For more, read this week’s Connacht 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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