Sports
Out of sorts Galway fall to shock defeat
TIPPERARY 3-13
GALWAY 1-10
A SEASON that had taken on an optimistic hue for Galway after the midsummer defeat of Mayo came to a calamitous conclusion at Croke Park on Sunday when Tipperary tore the Connacht champions to shreds in a one sided All-Ireland quarter-final.
For the second occasion this season it was one that we didn’t see coming, but this time around Galway were on the receiving end of the missile rather than delivering it — the prospect of a first All-Ireland semi-final appearance since 2001 lay in tatters long before referee Conor Lane sounded the final whistle.
The Galway post mortem will be a long and painful one with only a few players offering anything by way of a concerted resistance although it would be mean spirited not to acknowledge, that on Sunday, Tipperary looked a serious footballing side.
An early window of Galway dominance that scarcely lasted 15 minutes, and a wonder goal strike from Damien Comer just before half-time, provided the only times of respite for the big maroon following that travelled to the Jones’ Road venue on Sunday.
Galway were there to book their All-Ireland semi-final ticket for a showdown against either Tyrone and Mayo but Tipperary and Liam Kearns had no intention of adhering to that script — the Division 3 side looked fitter, faster and far more focused on their game plan than Kevin Walsh’s side.
True if Galway had converted a couple of early goal chances it could be argued that this might have changed the course of the match, but from minute 16 — when Tipperary’s Michael Quinlivan flicked home their first goal from close range — to the last kick of the game, this was all one way traffic.
Maybe Galway do need to have a bit more tactical flexibility when ‘Plan A’ is not working out. Was it really a wise move to concede possession to Tipperary from their short kick-outs — should Galway have pushed put up on them and tried to unsettle them.
Too often the Galway attacks lacked speed and direction. By the time pass four or five was reached across midfield, Tipperary had a blanket of players pulled back behind the ball. The Tipp defence needed to be ran at with pace or peppered with quick ball before they could call the extra men back.
Galway were in trouble in almost every sector of the pitch. In the full backline they struggled to cope with the power play of Quinlivan while further out through the half backline, and especially midfield, Tipperary were winning the vast majority of the 50-50 balls.
Up front only Damien Comer and Danny Cummins — when they could get him on the ball — posed any serious threat, but Tipperary came at Galway in waves, winning kick-outs long and short, and creating a bagful of goal chances into the bargain.
The truth of the matter is that Tipperary could quite easily have amassed a tally of around 6-15, denied on a few occasions by the brilliant saves of Bernard Power, while on a couple of other instances, a tad more composure in front of goal would have yielded major scores.
So how could this have happened against a Galway team that had earned respect for the tightness of their defensive system so far this season in the championship?
The answers probably lie somewhere in the tactical astuteness of Tipperary manager Liam Kearns allied to the genuine footballing skills and athleticism of a side that hasn’t been given due credit for their progress over recent years.
Full coverage in 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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