Sports
Minors hope to spring a semi-final surprise
The Galway minor footballers’ quest for a first Connacht title in eight years begins this Saturday, and it doesn’t get any tougher than this: Stephen Joyce’s charges face reigning provincial champions, Mayo, in their own back yard of Castlebar with a 6.30pm throw-in.
It is a must-win Connacht semi-final, and the losers do not have the safety of a back-door and will be out of the competition.
Roscommon and, in particular, Mayo have reigned supreme in Connacht since Galway’s last provincial success at this level – captained by Paul Conroy, the Tribesmen went on to collect the Tom Markham Cup in Croke Park later in the summer of 2007.
But ever since, Mayo has claimed five provincial titles (2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014) and Roscommon has won the other two (2011, 2012), as Galway has suffered some agonising defeats.
None more so than last year against Saturday’s opponents.
Second favourites for the All-Ireland before a ball was kicked in 2014, Galway was cruising, playing some fine football, and were six points to the good at half-time against Mayo in Tuam Stadium last year. But matters spiralled downhill when a series of events conspired against them.
Some of it was of their own making – a lacking of ruthlessness in front of goal – combined with the concession of a ‘soft’ penalty and the controversial and harsh sending-off of midfielder Michael Daly culminated in a 3-7 to 1-12 victory for the visitors.
A one-point defeat is never easy to take, and given the circumstances, must still rankle with the players who are still underage and on the panel again this year.
It is another motivating factor, if one was needed, but not a huge one given there has been a big turnaround in players and just three survive: Liam Ó Ceallaigh (An Spidéal) and goalkeeper Ronán Ó Beoláin (Micheál Breathnachs) featured against Mayo in 2014 and Conor Marsden (Kilconly) was a substitute. The Galway captain this year is Michael Boyle from Killererin.
The league meeting between these two teams earlier in the year would suggest that Galway has slipped back considerably since last year, and Mayo has improved.
At Tuam Stadium in April, Galway were hockeyed by Mayo by 15 points, 5-7 to 0-7. On that basis alone, you’d have to fear for Galway heading to the lions’ den of McHale Park.
Galway’s overall league form was fairly sporadic in March and April – as well as losing to Mayo, they beat Longford comprehensively (4-16 to 2-7) lost to Sligo (1-9 to 0-9), hammered Roscommon (5-9 to 2-7) and drew with Leitrim in their last outing (0-11 to 1-8).
On a more positive note, the Galway minors beat Kildare fairly well in a challenge match in Ballinasloe a fortnight ago and by all accounts they looked very lively against a side that has reached the Leinster final.
But as with league performances, when Leaving Cert disrupts preparations, it’s hard to read too much into challenge matches.
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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