Sports
Kilkenny boss Cody ‘hyping up’ Galway ahead of All-Ireland hurling final
IT’S the final countdown . . . with just over a week to go to the All-Ireland senior hurling showpiece the two camps are making final preparations for a tilt at the Liam McCarthy Cup.
Both Galway and Kilkenny are eyeballing each other ahead of the final on Sunday, September 6 at Croke Park.
Kilkenny manager Brian Cody was ‘hyping up’ Galway’s credentials at Tuesday’s media briefing to preview the final in Langton’s Hotel in Kilkenny City.
And last night, at the Galway preview in the Lough Rea Hotel and Spa, his counterpart, Anthony Cunningham emphasised the colossal challenge that Kilkenny will pose, as his charges seek to bridge a gap of 27 years since the county last tasted senior success.
It is the sixth All-Ireland final between the two counties – Galway has come out on top just once in 1987 (1-12 to 0-9); and came within a whisker of skinning the Cats in the 2012 drawn final only to be beaten by nine points in the replay; and Kilkenny won the three other finals (1975, 1979, 1993).
For Galway to win, it would surely be their greatest triumph yet – beating the Holy Trinity and traditional powerhouses of the game along the way including Cork, Tipperary and Kilkenny, as well as Dublin, an emerging force, and Laois, in the Leinster campaign.
Kilkenny, gunning for an 11th All-Ireland title in 17 years, could not make the same claim, given they followed the path of least resistance to the final including wins over Wexford, Galway and Waterford.
But that won’t diminish the determination of the Cats, who appear as hungry and fearsome as ever despite some high profile retirements including JJ Delaney, Tommy Walsh, Aidan Fogarty, Brian Hogan and Henry Shefflin.
Galway has concern over full-back John Hanbury (Rahoon-Newcastle), who came off with a leg injury in the dying stages of their unbelievable one-point semi-final victory over Tipperary a fortnight ago.
Hanbury has been teak-tough this year and a huge addition to the panel – he will be given every opportunity to prove fitness.
Fergal Moore, captain David Collins, and Greg Lally are experienced options should Hanbury not make it, and Paul Killeen made an impression at full-back in the U21s’ defeat to Limerick in Thurles on Saturday.
Jason Flynn required stitches in that game but his injuries are superficial and he should be okay for the final. Conor Cooney has returned to training after a lengthy injury absence although the final could arrive too soon for the St Thomas’ man.
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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