Sports
Hurlers get the job done to book Leinster final meeting with Kilkenny
Galway 2-19
Offaly 2-9
Galway may have advanced to a second consecutive Leinster senior hurling final with a 10-point victory over Offaly in horrendous weather conditions at O’Moore Park in Portlaoise on Sunday, but it was far from a case of swinging out of lampposts and ‘Singing in the Rain’ for Micheál Donoghue and his charges.
It was interesting to listen to the post-match chatter in the stands after this one – Galway had not played well . . . need to improve . . . so on, so on. There was a grain in truth in all of it, but it is important to realise that what transpired in this contest will have little or no correlation with what will happen against provincial and All-Ireland champions Kilkenny at Croke Park on July 3.
For one, you would hope the game won’t be played in the sort of deluge more appropriate to the rainforests of South America; while Croke Park is an amphitheatre that asks different questions and can affect players in a myriad of ways.
Of course, the mentality of the Galway players will also have to be a whole lot different. In Kilkenny, they face their nemesis – the side that denied them that elusive All-Ireland senior title in 2012 and September of last year. It sets the scene.
As for this one, this was a tough slog for the Tribesmen. In the opening three minutes, they were hit for 1-2 and although Offaly were reduced to 14 men on 27 minutes following the sending off of captain Colin Egan, Galway still trailed 1-7 to 1-6 at half-time.
Galway, too, had their woes in this respect as St Thomas’ Conor Cooney – who had a fabulous game up to this – received a straight red from Cork referee Colm Lyons for what seemed an innocuous challenge with 11 minutes remaining. It left a sour taste in Galway mouths.
At any rate, Galway got the job done and, in truth, you always felt they would have too much for their rivals. Physically, the victors were strong, particularly in the forward line where Niall Burke and Cooney, both of whom had come off the bench and impressed in the win over Westmeath, were introduced into the attack.
Indeed, overall, Galway had a solid look about them but if there was one area that raised concerns, it was the manner in which the full-back line coughed up two cheap goals. The first of those arrived in no less than 15 seconds when Egan supplied Joe Bergin, and the big full-forward netted with aplomb.
From a Galway perspective, it was slack marking but for the underdogs, it was the ideal fillip to bolster their challenge. Already pumped up for this Leinster semi-final, they drove on to hit the next two points through Shane Dooley and wing-back Dermot Mooney. Offaly were rocking.
By the time Offaly found the net with their second goal on 57 minutes, though, the game, for all intents and purposes, had gone from them but it was still just reward for a plucky display. What it did do was again highlight Galway’s slackness in the final third.
On this occasion, Fergal Moore got blocked down after receiving a short puck-out, and when the ball was recycled by Offaly substitute Emmett Nolan, he found Bergin who was fouled for a penalty. Dooley made no mistake with the placed ball. Although the margin was back to six, 2-15 to 2-9, this was Offaly’s last score of the fixture.
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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