Sports
High flying Wegians maintain mastery over arch city rivals
Galwegians 21
Corinthians 13
EVEN after this eight point derby win, you won’t find a sky blue supporter talking about promotion or titles around Glenina in anything other than a whispered voice in the corner of the club bar at Crowley Park. All season we’ve waited for the unlikely challengers to fall off the pace and all season they have defied the odds and made pre-season predictions look foolish.
This Friday night derby win under the floodlights at Crowley Park wasn’t one of Galwegians’ spectacular wins, nor was it a major upset. It was in fact a case of getting the job done against a tricky opponent and making sure all the good work from a week previously at Eaton Park in Ballymena wasn’t undone. They controlled the first half, wavered slightly after half time but powered through at the finish.
The backdrop for this game was simple. Galwegians arrived for this third AIL derby between the sides in four years – after two decades without such a fixture before that – on a mission. They had won a high scoring duel in Ulster the previous week and nabbed a bonus point to move two clear at the top of the table with four rounds remaining, but their fiercest rivals were in town to stall momentum.
The visitors had a very different backdrop, a frustrating campaign has seen them fall off the good pace of last year and coming into this contest they were second bottom and very much in the mix for filling one of the two relegation places. This was one of the games Corinthians really needed to steal and on 65 minutes or so, they came awfully close to setting up a late smash and grab.
Ultimately, however, there was a clear difference between the sides, a sharpness that is evident in everything Galwegians do, a sense of timing and a willingness to push for the extra pass and straighten the line when drifting seems safer. They are a team brimming full of confidence at the moment and a third straight derby win in three years was the fruits of their labour here.
The act of highlighting all that serves to show where Corinthians are falling short. Endeavour and commitment were there in spades and they had a fair balance of possession and territory in the contest too but the line breaks, the big game changing gains simply didn’t materialise from about the tenth minute on.
The first try came from Corinthians after a high tempo start and multiple phases of attacks in the home 22 with Cian Begley scoring, but Galwegians were sparked into life and had a try back from Rory Parata not long after. The centre profiting from an unusual bounce at first but then showing tremendous footwork to score.
By the 20 minute mark the second try had been nabbed with the lively and accurate Barry Lee darting over from close range after some good work from the home forwards. By half time the lead was just 12-10 as Conor Murphy had kicked a late Corinthians penalty but despite the narrow margin, Galwegians were looking much more threatening.
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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