NUI Galway players help Irish side to fourth spot

FOUR players from NUI Galway were part of the Republic of Ireland squad that matched the country’s best-ever display at the FISU (International University Sports Federation) Summer Universiade tournament with a 4th place finish in Italy last week.

Aislinn Meaney, Shauna Fox, Sadhbh Doyle, and Ellerose O’Flaherty were all part of Dave Connell’s squad that missed out on the bronze medal when losing to Russia in a penalty shoot-out in their 3rd/4th place play-off match.

The Irish side got their tournament off to a dream start with a stunning 1-0 win over defending champions, Brazil, and followed that up with a 2-1 win over South Korea to top their group.

That set up a quarter-final meeting with China, which finished scoreless, but the Irish side were spot-on in the penalty shootout, winning 4-1 to advance 4-1 to a semi-final with a North Korea side that proved far too strong for the Irish players, the Asian outfit running out comprehensive 5-0 winners – and eventually going on to win the tournament.

That sent Ireland into the bronze medal match against Russia, and under the supervision of former Galway United manager, Dave Connell, they looked on target to record their best-ever finish at the tournament when goals from Lauren Kelly and Eleanor Ryan-Doyle gave them a 2-0 lead just short on the midway point in the second-half.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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