Sports
Keegan grabs a hat trick to send Limerick packing
Limerick FC 2
Galway United 4
YOU wait 13 years for a first Premier Division hat-trick by a Galway United player – and then two come along in the same season, with Jake Keegan claiming his first-ever match-ball in the Markets Field on Saturday night as United ended a three-match run without a win.
Enda Curran bagged three in the 5-0 rout of Bray Wanderers back in April, and Keegan’s treble on Saturday, along with Gary Shanahan’s cake-topping cherry near the end, means only the top four have scored more than United this season.
But just as they are able to find the net, the blip on Saturday night was once again their failure to defend their own onion bag from set-pieces, handing the home side a lifeline into the game when conceding from a corner yet again in the first-half.
Just as United have been banging in the goals at one end, their defence is one of the most porous in the league – only Limerick, rooted to the bottom of the table without a win all season, have conceded more than them.
There will be the argument that as long as they score more than they concede, they’ll do okay, but even after Saturday night’s win, United manager Tommy Dunne was, if not seething, then certainly very annoyed, at the concession of yet another set-piece goal.
United have a break from league action this weekend, due to Dundalk’s involvement in the Champions League qualifiers, and with the goals looking after themselves at one end, you’d imagine the next week will be all about tightening up at the back, especially given the fact a hugely improved Bray Wanderers are next up for United on Friday week.
As for last Saturday, the early pressure was coming from the visitors, and it paid dividends when they took a deserved lead in the 12th minute. Keegan picked up possession in the centre of the park, and as the Limerick defence backed off, he drove towards goal before sliding the ball wide right to Shanahan.
The Limerick native delivered a first-time ball into that nightmare area for goalkeepers, in behind the defence along the six-yard line, and Keegan had continued his run to meet the cross and fire into the net at the back post.
The goal roused the home side, who enjoyed a decent little spell of pressure, but had nothing to show for it apart from fruitless claims for a penalty, the officials correctly ruling that Keegan’s 16th minute tackle on Dean Clarke was outside the box.
Shane Tracy swept in the subsequent free-kick, but with Galway native Vinny Faherty lurking at the back post, a flying Conor Winn got a solid hand to the ball to push it to safety.
Faherty had another sniff four minutes later, but Stephen Walsh nicked the ball off his toe, and Colm Horgan tidied up as Lee Lynch looked to get on the end of the loose ball.
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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