Sports
St Thomas’ book their spot in last eight with relative ease
St Thomas’ 1-16
Mullagh 0-12
A minute’s silence was held before the throw-in of the St Thomas’ and Mullagh game last Saturday afternoon in honour of James Regan’s father, and it was fitting that James was the first man to get his name on the scoresheet for Thomas’ as they secured their passage to the last eight with a routine victory.
Regan and Conor Cooney contributed two points apiece during the contest, but it was their colleague Eanna Burke who was the most outstanding Thomas’ player on show. The wing-forward kept his fine vein of form going from the Galway Intermediate’s run to All-Ireland success, scoring nine points against Mullagh, with seven of that total coming from play.
Loughrea is a relatively small pitch in hurling terms, and the tighter confines suited a man like Burke, who is able to pick off scores from distance. With himself, Cooney and Regan, St Thomas’ have forwards who can be match winners on their day, and this is something which will make them very dangerous opponents in the latter stages of the Championship.
Another potential match winner is David Burke, who lined out at midfield alongside his brother Bernard. The first half largely passed him by, but operating more in and around the half-forward line after the break, the Galway midfielder came into the game more as any post All-Ireland hangover he may have been suffering began to dissipate.
Further back, Darragh Burke and especially Sean Skehill commanded their lines, with Skehill making two superb catches in the final 10 minutes from full-back.
All told, St Thomas’ look a very good outfit, and their final Group C meeting with Portumna should be one to savour considering the recent history between the two. Although both clubs have already qualified for the quarter-finals and the points on offer won’t matter, the outcome of the game could well set the tone for the remainder of the Senior Hurling Championship.
Saturday’s loss ended not just Mullagh’s hopes of making the quarter-finals, but also Turloughmore’s, who were playing Killimordaly at the same time in Kenny Park. While the final scoreline looks relatively comprehensive in favour of St Thomas’, Mullagh actually started the game with menace, but lacked a finishing touch.
A total of 1-14 of St Thomas’ tally came from play, with all six forwards getting in on the act. Contrast that to Mullagh, whose only starting forward to score was Justin Gaynor. Mullagh badly missed the influence of Cathal Dervan, while Davy Glennon did make his return in the second half, but they still coughed up the chance to lay down an early marker to their opponents.
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
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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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