Sports
Out-of-sorts Galwegians have lost early season swagger
Galwegians 3
Shannon 18
GALWEGIANS early-season form appears to have suddenly deserted them as they suffered a third straight defeat and their second in the UBL Division 1b at home to a fired-up Shannon on Saturday.
The Blues came into this game determined to get back to winning ways after the Christmas break, but it was another bad day at the office as they never got going against their determined visitors.
Shannon started the brighter and took an early lead courtesy of a second minute penalty from out-half Tadhg Bennett. However Wegians were soon on level terms when their first incursion into opposition territory led to a 30m penalty which was slotted over by full-back John Cleary.
Unfortunately, the table toppers were getting on the wrong side of referee Will O’Connor who was blowing them off the pitch at the breakdown, and with the first quarter barely up, the official lost patience and binned Wegians tight-head prop Doran McHugh.
Shannon opted for a five metre scrum penalty but Wegians turned it over and relieved the pressure, although Bennett soon restored a three-point lead with his second penalty.
Wegians were struggling to find any rhythm, although they were somewhat unlucky not to grab the opening try when returning centre Brian Murphy burst through the middle, only to be pulled back for a forward pass.
The turning point of the game came on the half-hour mark when Wegians were camped deep in opposition territory and looking set to add to their scoring tally. Shannon had forwards Lee Nicholas and replacement prop Kevin Griffin binned in short succession, and the home team, unsurprisingly, opted for a succession of five metre scrum penalties.
At one stage, a penalty try looked a formality, only for number eight Anthony Ryan to pick and go too soon. And from the next scrum play, the seven-man Shannon scrum somehow dug deep and turned the ball over to relieve the pressure.
It was a game-changing moment, and it got even better for the visitors on the stroke of half-time. With the Wegians lineout misfiring, the visitors stole lineout ball near the Wegians 22, and although they had just 13 men on the pitch, they still found numbers out wide.
Winger Colin Conroy gambled on a hit but missed his man, and Shannon left-wing David O’Donovan was sent over for the opening try of the game, giving them an 11-3 lead at the break.
Wegians came out fighting at the start of the second-half, but they wasted an immediate opportunity when a five metre line out was again coughed up allowing Shannon to clear their lines. Cleary missed a 30m penalty shortly afterwards, and the confidence appeared to visibly drain out of the home side who had been free-scoring in the first half of the season.
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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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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