Sports
Mullagh land six-in-a-row to book place in quarter-finals
Mullagh 1-19
Cappataggle 0-18
MULLAGH finished in a blaze of glory to book their place in the senior hurling championship quarter-finals after this hard fought derby victory over Cappataggle in Ballinasloe on Saturday evening.
Despite having no previous encounter at elite level in Galway, these neighbours produced an intense and entertaining battle as Duggan Park as Mullagh landed six unanswered points down the home straight to carry the day.
Mullagh started with Cathal Dervan raising a white flag in the opening minute before Kevin Briscoe set up Padraig Kennedy for a second. Dessie O’Brien’s team were controlling the early exchanges but Daniel Nevin’s free opened Cappataggle’s account on four minutes.
Cappataggle levelled 60 seconds after when Alan Dolan finished a move involving James Egan and Emmet Malone, but Mullagh struck their first decisive blow in the sixth minute.
James Skehill produced numerous important stops over the hour but couldn’t do anything about Donal Reilly’s’ strike. Briscoe and Kennedy were involved in the move which culminated with Reilly finding the net, his shot deflecting off Skehill’s chest.
The Galway keeper was down for a moment but was back at full flight three minutes later when he denied Colm Fahy’s effort for a 65. Dervan converted the resulting placed ball to make it 1-3 to 0-2 before Malone replied for Cappataggle, splitting the posts on 12 minutes.
Davy Glennon started at full forward but was out on the right wing quickly and he provided Niall Cahalan with a Mullagh score to restore a four point margin. Fahy and Skehill received yellow cards for a minor altercation but two Daniel Nevin frees and Dolan’s second point left just one between them on 20 minutes.
Mullagh maintained the initiative but couldn’t take advantage of some unforced errors in the Cappataggle defence. Cathal Hardiman picked out Cahalan on 22 minutes for a 1-5 to 0-6 lead and when Sean Hardiman’s long delivery resulted in Fahy being fouled three minutes, referee John Keane rewarded Mullagh a penalty.
Dervan’s low strike, however, was saved by Skehill and Cappataggle seized the initiative. Darragh Dolan converted a sweet effort from the left before Nevin set up Jarlath Mannion for a point on 29 minutes to level at 0-8 to 1-5.
The game looked to be swinging Cappataggle’s way but four points before the break gave Mullagh a 1-9 to 0-8 cushion. Glennon and Dervan scored from play before Glennon picked out Reilly for another one. And after receiving a free, Dervan completed Mullagh’s first-half tally.
Those points looked crucial and were complemented by Cahalan’s third four minutes after the restart as Mullagh looked like pulling away again. But Cappataggle played their way back dominating the middle part of the half, outscoring their opponents by 0-10 to 0-3 between the 36th and 52nd minutes.
For more, read 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.
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.
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.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
