Sports
New Galway United boss Keegan asks club’s supporters to give him a chance
By Patrick Flaherty
FOLLOWING weeks of speculation and two candidates turning the job down, Galway United finally got their man as Shane Keegan penned a two-year deal over the weekend after a five year spell at the helm of Wexford Youths.
Speaking at his first press conference as manager, the Laois native quickly got the assembled local and national media on his side, through his sheer energy and enthusiasm for the job.
Despite his managerial career never reaching past the sunny south east, Keegan knows the city quite well, stating the location and his family’s love of the place as huge factor in his decision to come to Galway.
“To be honest with you, when you’re looking at relocating to somewhere new and you have to sit down with the family about it, I don’t think there is too many places they’d be as enthusiastic about. We come over here three or four times a year.”
“We’ve been at the Christmas market pretty much every year for the last four or five years. It’s a wonderful city and I love spending as much time as possible here. I’m really delighted to get the chance to spend more time here.”
Keegan spent the weekend in Galway, where he was shown around his new surroundings, a stadium and training ground he was extremely impressed by.
“The facilities are second to none. They are one of the things that get you most excited. You look at what’s been done here under the stand, on the pitch and obviously at the training ground in Mervue. It ticks every box. You can have absolutely no complaints in relation to that side of things. It’s fantastic.”
Having built up experience in the Airtricity League, through spells at both FC Carlow and Wexford Youths, the young manager is looking forward to the step up from the part time set ups there to the full time one in Galway, along with the jump in the club’s ambition.
“Obviously the biggest change for me is the step up in going from a part time set up to a full time set up, in terms of the amount of training that can be done and different things like that. Also let’s be honest in terms of expectations. We very nearly managed to stay up with Wexford Youths. I realise that was their aim and that the aims and expectations here are going to be very different.”
While Keegan may not have the trophy cabinet of other top flight managers, with the 2015 First Division being his only title in his seven years of management at senior level, he does have a fantastic record at developing young talent, having seen the likes of Sean Maguire and Ryan Delaney progress under his tutelage.
“There’s a huge buzz to be got out of progressing a young player and seeing him produce the goods on the pitch. We had it last season with Ryan Delaney in particular who was just outstanding for us and really developed as a player over 18 months, which culminated in his move to the Championship with Burton Albion.”
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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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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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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