Sports
It’s seven up for Athenry in one-sided Junior Cup final
Athenry FC 7
Ballinasloe Town 0
Mike Rafferty in Lecarrow
ATHENRY claimed a fifth Connacht Junior Cup crown in the last decade in Lecarrow on Sunday with an emphatic win over a Ballinasloe Town side who lost their way badly the latter stages.
Four goals in the closing ten minutes certainly brought a one-sided look to proceedings but the Roscommon League side did not help themselves either, with the dismissal of two players in a lack of discipline iate on.
Memories of the defeat against Mervue United in last year’s final were fresh in the minds of Athenry and they were the better side for the majority of this contest. An early goal gave them a reward for an industrious start and the second on the stroke of half time was really the point of no return for the Town.
“Conceding saps energy” said Ballinasloe manager Enda Concannon afterwards and to confirm the fact his side then spent the second half chasing shadows as Athenry pressed all the right buttons as they pulled away in embarrassing fashion.
However, it could have been so different if the home side had converted a terrific early chance, as just three minutes had elapsed when Mark Duffy set up Liam Lynch in the box, but the normally deadly striker dragged his effort across the face of goal and wide of the far post.
As it transpired it was to prove a crucial miss, as thereafter, Lynch and Duffy were kept under a tight reign by Declan Cullen and Paddy Quinn and their best opportunity of the game was gone.
Athenry had applied just light pressure before they made the breakthrough on 13 minutes. The set piece deliveries of Dan Cunningham were a thorn in the Town side for the duration and it was his corner that set up Gary Forde to finish at the far post for a 1-0 lead.
They continued to threaten as Cathal Fahy escaped behind the cover, but ‘keeper Aidan Fallon saved before the custodian was in the right place to also keep out an athletic bicycle kick by Conor Cannon.
The promptings of Daragh Concannon and David Nee in central midfield helped maintain some Ballinasloe consistency in the opening half and they went close to an equaliser on 23 minutes, when a back peddling TJ Forde had to tip over a stinging cross shot by Shane Tracey. Inexplicably, the match officials awarded a goal kick – in an error that was not their last of the day.
A Lynch cross then caused some panic in the Athenry rearguard, but following a goalmouth scramble, Shane Duffy lashed over from ten yards. As the half developed, it was Athenry who had more of a cutting edge about them.
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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