Sports
Goals are the key to dethroning the Cats
While triumphs over Kilkenny may be rare, what the record books do emphasise is that goals have been essential in Galway’s nine previous championship wins over the Cats – and, most likely, will be again if the Tribesmen are to upset the reigning All-Ireland champions in their keenly anticipated Leinster final showdown at Croke Park this Sunday (4pm).
That old adage of goals win game has certainly applied to Galway in their endeavours against Kilkenny, with Galway ‘out-goaling’ their illustrious rivals in seven of their nine wins and breaking even in this department in the remaining two.
The latter includes their memorable 2012 Leinster final victory which Galway won on a scoreline of 2-21 to 2-11 although, notably, Anthony Cunningham’s charges did lead 2-12 to 0-4 at half-time after producing a blistering first half of hurling. So, goals did lay the foundation.
Goals have also been fundamental on the two occasions the sides have ended level. In the drawn 2012 All-Ireland decider, Galway hit Kilkenny for two as the contest finished tied at 2-13 to 0-19. In the Leinster semi-final last year, goals once again proved the Tribesmen salvation as they hit three late ones to draw the game, 5-16 to 3-22.
What has been telling is that Galway, in their nine wins and two draws, have never secured a result against Kilkenny in championship hurling without scoring a goal while, in contrast, the Cats have garnered results against the Tribesmen in the past without finding the net, again most recently in the drawn game of the 2012 All-Ireland final.
Given the way both teams have gone about their business already, it would be a major surprise if both didn’t bag a goal or two on Sunday. In their three games so far, Galway have netted nine times, while Kilkenny hit Wexford for five.
Sunday will mark the 40th championship meeting between the two counties, with Kilkenny holding the upper hand with 28 wins. The most recent of those was in last year’s Leinster semi-final replay when Brian Cody’s men ran out 3-19 to 1-17 winners.
Both teams have a few changes from that clash. For Galway, Fergal Moore, Ronan Burke, Paul Killeen, Niall Burke and Conor Cooney – yet to make the starting fifteen this year – lined out day while Brian Hogan, JJ Delaney, Tommy Walsh, Aidan Fogarty and Henry Shefflin, all of whom saw action, have retired for Kilkenny.
The retirement of those five high-profile players from the Kilkenny set-up had led many to surmise early in the year that the All-Ireland champions were a team in transition but the Cats unceremoniously put this hypothesis to bed with their 24-points hammering of a subdued Wexford in their Leinster semi-final.
In truth, it was a ridiculous claim anyway. Of the famous five, full-back JJ Delaney was the only starter in the 2014 All-Ireland final replay against Tipperary, although Brian Hogan did line-out at centre-back in the drawn game and Shefflin and Fogarty were introduced over the two games.
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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