Sports
Keegan’s intervention to see Galway FC prolong season
Shelbourne 1
Galway FC 1
Jake Keegan cemented his status as a cult hero amongst Galway FC fans when he headed home a deserved equaliser five minutes from time in Tolka Park on Friday night to all but secure a promotion play-off spot for Tommy Dunne’s side.
Keegan’s goal means Galway FC go into next Sunday’s final game of the season three points clear of Wexford Youths, who are the visitors to Eamonn Deacy Park, but with the Tribesmen enjoying a far superior goal difference, Wexford will need a winning margin of seven goals if they are to leapfrog their hosts.
Friday had all the hallmarks of it being just one of those nights for Galway FC when nothing would go right as home goalkeeper Nathan Murphy had the kind of inspired performance that would have fitted in perfectly with a storyline from Roy Race’s Melchester Rovers (younger readers – ask your dad!).
He pulled off a series of top-drawer saves, including saving a 60th minute penalty from Ryan Manning, but he was eventually beaten five minutes from time with the deftest of headers from Keegan. Manning picked up possession wide on the left and curled the ball into the box, and Keegan timed his run to perfection, running across the defenders to meet the ball at the near post and while Murphy got a hand to the ball, he couldn’t prevent it from crossing the line.
As expected, Alex Byrne slotted into the heart of midfield on Friday night in place of the suspended Ryan Connolly in the only change from the side that snatched a 96th minute winner against Cobh Ramblers the previous Saturday.
As for the hosts, they made a staggering five changes to the side beaten away at Finn Harps that same weekend, with the injured Gary Dempsey the only enforced change in that quintet. They adopted the traditional 4-4-2 formation, but at times it was if they were playing with just two central defenders at the back as full-backs Brian Gannon and Lee Desmond pushed right up alongside – and often ahead of – their two wingers.
That should have meant they were vulnerable to the counter-attack, but for that to happen, Galway FC needed possession, and the visitors had hardly a kick of the ball in the opening 10 minutes. For all that, a lot of the Shelbourne play was lateral, with Conor Gleeson never called in to action.
The visitors finally began to settle, and Keegan found space to drive at the heart of the home defence just as the clock ticket into double digits, holding off John Sullivan to create the opening, but he lashed a shot wide as his balance deserted him.
He turned provider two minutes later when exploiting the space vacated by Gannon to curl an inviting cross into the box, but Vinny Faherty didn’t know whether to head it or stick a leg out, and in the end did neither.
Galway had overcome their early nerves and they grew as a threat, with the pace of Manning and Gary Shanahan proving such a concern for the home side that Gannon took the proverbial ‘one for the team’ when hauling Manning down just five yards inside the Shels half as the underage international looked set to skin him and head for goal.
But it was Keegan who was proving to be the biggest thorn in the side of Shels, and only a fine save by Murphy denied him the opener in the 20th minute after he rode the challenge of two defenders, and skipped past the would-be tackles of two more.
Galway were applying all the pressure, but they needed to turn it into a goal. They almost got one in the 32nd minute when Murphy opted to punch, rather than catch, a Manning free-kick. The ball landed at the feet of Paddy Barrett, who hit it on the half-volley, and while Murphy was beaten, Willo McDonagh was on hand to clear off the line. And then Shels scored.
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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