Sports
O’Riordan’s side show character to stay top of league
Galway WFC 3
Kilkenny United WFC 0
Galway WFC maintained their top spot in the Continental Tyres Women’s National League on Saturday with a win over Kilkenny United edition at Eamonn Deacy Park.
Opportunities were few and far between in the opening quarter, before the home side took the lead with a terrific strike on 21 minutes. Little looked on as Sorcha Ni Bhraonain gathered a Jessica Nolan pass out wide on the left, but after a little movement and a look up, she curled a smashing effort beyond the reach of Nadine Ryan for a 1-0 advantage.
That breakthrough woke the home side up and before the break had a few chances to increase their advantage. On 26 minutes, a Shauna Fox free-kick dropped to Elle O’Flaherty, but the winger crashed her close range effort off the crossbar. The woodwork also denied Ciara Cormican, after the central defender got her head to a Lynsey McKey corner.
Kilkenny goalkeeper Ryan was extended twice before the break, when holding shots by Jessica Nolan and Lisa Casserly; while they also threatened at the other end when Sylvia Gee beat Tina Hughes to a long ball at the edge of the box, but her header just went the wrong side of the post.
While Galway had a ‘goal’ ruled out on the resumption for a marginal offside call, there appeared to be a bit of apathy in the home display as they struggled to make any sort of impact either in general play or in the opposition half. In contrast, it was the visitors who looked the more likely to score.
However, somewhat against the run of play, Don O’Riordan’s charges doubled their advantage on 59 minutes, when Meadbh De Burca threaded a ball through to McKey and the striker easily got the better of Ryan with an angled shot for a 2-0 lead.
That score changed the course of the game, as the home side generally controlled matters thereafter, with Fox, Cormican, Casserly and De Burca sealing the middle and Aoife Walsh and Chloe Maloney offering great support down the flanks.
De Burca and Nolan were just off the mark with efforts, before Galway WFC made it 3-0 on 87 minutes, when O’Flaherty finished at the far post, after Nolan had an initial shot taken off the line by Ali O’Keeffe.
With Shelbourne and Wexford Youths drawing 3-3, it strengthened Don O’Riordan’s charges hold at the top of the table, but with the chasing pack enjoying games in hand. Galway WFC have some difficult games ahead, with Shelbourne next up this weekend.
Galway WFC: Hughes; Walsh, Fox, Cormican, Maloney (Carter 88); O’Flaherty, De Burca (Moran 88), Casserly, Nolan; Ni Bhraonain (Dowd 70), McKey.
Kilkenny United WFC: Ryan (inj, Mourhead 83); Cantwell (Power 70), Leavy, A O’Keeffe, Nolan; Gee, Swarres, Gaynor, Murphy, J O’Keefee; Hallissey (Delaney 79).
Referee: C Campbell.
CONNACHT JUNIOR CUP
The last thing you want to hear at a sporting event is the manager shouting “will someone ring an ambulance”, but such was the scenario in Fahy’s Field on Sunday morning as a Mervue United player suffered a broken leg in an accidental clash.
As a result of the incident just eight minutes from time, the game with St Bernard’s was abandoned with the contest very much in the balance at 1-1. The home side enjoyed an interval advantage, as Barry Moran and Alex Lee provided the assists for Stephen Larkin to fire past Kevin Ruane, but the visitors got a merited equaliser on 68 minutes when a Matty Finn shot diverted into the net off Shane King to level matters. The game will be rescheduled for the Mervue venue.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Connacht Tribune
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
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.
CITY TRIBUNE
United wary of the threat from Treaty
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.
CITY TRIBUNE
Devon crowned Women’s Connacht Cup champions
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.