Sports
Molloy is star turn in Galway U-21’s victory
Galway 0-21
Dublin 0-19
(After extra-time)
ON the back of the previous weekend’s disappointing – and frustrating – All-Ireland senior and minor semi-final defeats, Galway hurling needed this. Not just in terms of the victory, or the opportunity it has presented to claim another U-21 title, but more the benefits this should have for this group of players.
Yet, first to the contest itself, and what excitement it conjured up, not only in normal time but in the 20 additional minutes plus played in the extra period. Where to begin? On this occasion, let’s start with the captain, Brian Molloy.
Molloy has long been recognised as a talent, as underlined by his inclusion in the senior squad, but as an exponent still learning his trade, he, like his team-mates, require battles like these to further develop. Games like this to test the worth of a player.
On Saturday evening in front of a crowd of 4,125 at Semple Stadium, Molloy produced a textbook ‘Grade A’ showing, shooting 10 points, with four of these struck from play. Added to this, he worked his fingers to the bone in open play, hooking, blocking, harrying, picking up breaks, distributing. By and large, it was the complete display.
The Kilnadeema/Leitrim man also offered leadership and, of his total tally, Molloy hit four of those points in extra-time after this absorbing semi-final had finished at 0-16 each after 60 minutes.
The first half of the additional period began with Dublin substitute Eoghan McHugh and St. Thomas’ Eanna Burke, another senior panellist, trading points before Molloy fired Galway into the lead after getting on the end of a Cathal Tuohy puck-out.
Less than a minute later, Cian Boland replied for Dublin to tie up the game at 0-18 apiece and, as the players changed ends, it was still anybody’s game. However, there were a couple of factors why Galway got over the line.
The first was the maturity Molloy showed in hitting three points from placed balls in the final 10 minutes. The first he notched up came from a 65 while the other two were from frees he coolly converted on 76 and 80 minutes respectively.
Just to put it into perspective, those three strikes from dead ball situations were not easy, given the evening had been marred by sheeting rain and a wind that made life extremely difficult when playing against it. However, Molloy belittled those conditions.
Just as an aside, the two frees Molloy converted in extra-time were the only two awarded to Galway in this time – Dublin having been awarded seven by Cork referee Diarmuid Kirwan. Indeed, one of those Galway frees was for a throw ball from Dublin’s Paul O’Dea so, in reality, on a dirty evening for hurling, Galway players were only fouled once in the final 20 minutes plus according to Kirwan. Remarkable.
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.
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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