Sports
Injury-hit Galway United face massive challenge in home FAI Cup tie with Dundalk
WHILE all the talk of a Galway double is revolving around the county’s senior and minor hurlers in their quest for All-Ireland glory next month, Galway United will be looking to complete a cup double of their own tonight when they host Dundalk in the last 16 of the FAI Cup.
Having already knocked the Louth club – and defending champions – out of the EA Sports Cup at the start of the month, Tommy Dunne’s side will be hoping to also end the interest of Stephen Kenny’s league leaders in this season’s FAI Cup when the sides meet in Eamonn Deacy Park (7.45pm).
However, United can expect a very different Dundalk side to the one they knocked out of the EA Sports Cup on penalties on the August Bank Holiday Monday: while that was largely a second string side, the Lilywhites will be expected to wheel out the big guns tonight.
United have no such luxury: an already small squad has been decimated by injuries, which meant three U-19 players started against Drogheda in the league on Monday night, with another five on a six-man substitutes bench that also included two goalkeepers.
“We had 10 players out between suspension and injury, and with all those fellas out, the young lads that came in did fantastically well. Jake Keegan did great up front on his own, and the support he got from Conor Melody and Antaine Ó Laoi was fantastic, as well as from Gary Shanahan.
“That said, we were led brilliantly by Sam [Oji] and Paul [Sinnott] at the back, they made sure we were hard to beat. I know Drogheda had chances, but it was a huge point for us,” Dunne said after Monday night’s draw.
While the transfer window has closed, the club is believed to be trying to sign an out-of-work player to bolster the squad, though that is with both eyes on Premier Division survival, rather than cup progression.
That said, a win against Dundalk tonight would be a massive confidence boost for United’s young squad, and it is not beyond the bounds of possibility. United’s home form in the league has been poor this season, with just three wins from 13 games, but it has been a very different story in cup competition.
United have played five cup games this season, all of them at Eamonn Deacy Park, and all ending in victory for Tommy Dunne’s side, and the hope has to be that, free from the pressures of the fight for league survival, they will thrive in a cup challenge against the best side in the country, and cause the shock of the round.
Dundalk ended United’s interest in the FAI Cup at the same stage in last year’s competition, but while they were by far the better side in Oriel Park in that game, Dundalk only scraped through 2-1. Padraic Cunningham’s 81st minute goal set up a grandstand finish, and such was United’s efforts that night that the home support applauded the visitors off the pitch after the final whistle.
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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