Sports
Opening-half shocker tells its own tale about Galway
Kilkenny 0-21
Galway 1-14
IF you were a PhD student and you wanted to write a thesis on the inconsistencies of Galway hurling, this National League fixture against All-Ireland champions Kilkenny, in front of an attendance of 7,402 at Nowlan Park, would be as good a starting point as any.
Cutting to the chase, this mercurial performance just about summed up Galway hurling. In the first half, the Tribesmen were so out of sorts that you wondered did they really want to be there. It was as poor a showing from a Galway outfit in some time.
Indeed, by half-time they trailed 0-13 to 0-5 and it could have been far worse had Kilkenny not squandered a series of goal chances. Galway were staring into the abyss at the break and it felt their year might just hinge on the next 35 minutes.
Of course, this was never going to be the case but a hammering in this one, particularly after their lacklustre display against Dublin, would have been detrimental to team confidence – and when confidence is low, it is very difficult for a team to operate at maximum efficiency.
This certainly seemed to be the case in the opening period when Galway were guilty of producing a display that fell well short of inter-county Division 1 standard and a brutally honest conversation in relation to the issues surrounding this abject showing has to have taken place this week.
Up for discussion: Galway’s work-rate and intensity, which was lacking once again, along with their handling and touch – both poor – but, again, not surprising given their struggles in acquiring a pitch with a surface to accommodate them in recent weeks.
In addition, a number of Galway players took too much out of the ball – indulging that extra touch and running themselves into cul de sacs – while their peripheral vision and awareness also saw them caught in possession far too often.
They could also do with addressing their decision making, especially around the handpass, which resulted in the sliotar being literally handed to a Kilkenny opponent on multiple occasions.
When the Tribesmen did manage to work the ball up the field, shooting was rash and in one or two cases players shot for scores simply to jettison the sliotar out of their general vicinity.
In truth, this was simply symptomatic of Galway’s play in the opening period and, for whatever reason, they didn’t appear to have the ability or composure to retain and recycle possession under pressure.
A lot of these problems stemmed from the puck-out, an area Kilkenny for the most part owned. This was reflected in the fact that Kilkenny’s midfield of Lester Ryan and Conor Fogarty and their half-back line of Padraig Walsh, Kieran Joyce and Cillian Buckley won twice as much primary possession as Galway in this sector. Joyce, Ryan and Fogarty, in particular, were immense.
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.
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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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