Sports
St. James’ progress over Cortoon Shamrocks in county championship
St. James’ 2-8
Cortoon Shamrocks 1-6
A solid team effort was the backbone of St. James’ victory over Cortoon Shamrocks, in a game that won’ live long in the memory of those who attended Tuam Stadium for the first fixture of Saturday evening’s county championship double-header.
Minus talisman Paul Conroy, the Galway city club showed that they are more than the sum of their parts as they defended stoutly for long periods of the second half. A goal from Eoin Concannon midway through that half gave them a 2-6 to 1-3 cushion that they never looked like relinquishing.
Concannon was one of a number of St James’ players to stand up in Conroy’s absence, finishing with a personal tally of 1-3. St James’ were slightly more economical in how they made advantage of the ball they received, funnelling back in numbers and breaking out with pace and purpose.
The quality was quite poor overall though. Both sides took the wrong option on numerous occasions when in possession, particularly in the first half, and the combined wide count of 23 makes for shocking reading. St. James’ hit 10 but Cortoon took home the prize in this facet of the game, shooting 13 in all.
Cathal Mulryan and Adrian Varley were guilty in this regard, and none of Cortoon’s four county members caught the eye as Derek Savage was comfortably their best player on show. Varley was shadowed everywhere he went by Eoin Teagle, while Donal O’Neill had his work cut out dealing with Concannon.
The first half was characterised by poor finishing, and a heavy shower that brought thunder and lightning with it just before the half time whistle was the most remarkable event of the half’s entertainment.
It was Cortoon who opened the scoring in the fourth minute through full-forward Fergal Heverin. They sought to isolate Heverin at the edge of the square for much of the game, but the balls into the big man were either overhit or hoovered up by opposition defenders. St. James’ created four goal chances playing against a slight breeze in the opening period.
They took the first of them in the sixth minute of the half, as Tommy Walsh played a neat one-two with Johnny Duane before coolly finishing to the bottom corner of the net. Gary Geoghehan and David O’Connell traded points, before Duane manufactured another goal opportunity for Concannon with a quarter of an hour played.
Darragh Glynn got off his line smartly to block the county forward’s effort out for a 45 however. A free each from Derek Savage and Eoin O’Regan for their respective sides were the only points clocked up between the 14th minute and the half time whistle as St. James’ led 1-2 to 0-3 at the interval.
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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