Sports
McGlynn snatches schools hurling glory for St Brigid’s
St Brigid’s, Loughrea 1-12
Pres. Athenry 0-14
DAMIAN McGlynn was the hero for St Brigid’s, Loughrea after his point deep into injury time secured a heart-stopping win over Presentation College, Athenry in Saturday’s Connacht Post Primary Schools Senior A Hurling Final.
McGlynn’s point was the decider in a tit-for-tat contest in which both sides showed plenty of determination. It was a harsh lesson for Athenry, last year’s champions, but they cannot have too many complaints, particularly when they managed only three points from play.
Loughrea were not exactly free-scoring either but with six players making contributions to the scoreboard, they had more than double the amount than their opponents and were the only side to threaten the goal, even if their only major, scored by Jason Nevin, did arrive in somewhat fortuitous circumstances.
It was unsurprising that Athenry were heavily reliant on Evan Niland, who played for the Galway senior team in the Walsh Cup, and it was the full-forward who put the holders into a 0-3 to 0-1 with three frees by the eigfhth minute, Dylan Towolawi opening the scoring for Loughrea inside 20 seconds.
One of the defining scores of the game came soon after, however, with Loughrea scoring an all-important goal. Damian McGlynn’s effort from the right-wing dropped short of the posts and into the palm of goalkeeper Mark Fahy, but the sliotar spilled from Fahy’s grasp and Loughrea forward Jason Nevin was first on the scene to bundle the ball over the line.
Nevin nearly had another goal moments later when his mishit shot looked to be dropping under the crossbar but Fahy did enough to bat the effort away to safety. Conor Molloy put Loughrea two points ahead, 1-2 to 0-3, in the 13th minute before his side were given a great opportunity to take control of the contest.
Donal Mannion set off on a jinking run through the middle of the Athenry defence before being dragged down just as he was about to take his shot at goal. Dylan Towolawi stepped up to strike the penalty but while his effort was well-placed, it bounced before the line, allowing Fahy to dive low to his right and pull off a good save.
When Conor Molloy converted the resulting ‘65 to put three points between the sides after 21 minutes, it would be the biggest lead either side enjoyed in the game, but even that cushion lasted all of 30 seconds before Barry Callanan got Athenry’s first score from play, and their first of any kind for a quarter of an hour.
Molloy edged Loughrea three ahead with a neat point from play but Athenry came back strongly in the five minutes before the break to level the contest. Niland converted two long-range frees either side of an effort from Ian Connolly, who had been set-up by good work from Patrick Foley up the left-wing.
Full coverage in 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.
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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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