Sports
Sunday to tell if the tide is really turning for Galway
Inside Track with John McIntyre
It was one of the blackest days in the history of Galway football – a record-equalling 17-point defeat to arch provincial rivals Mayo; two players sent off; and it all happened on home soil. It was May, 2013, in front of a crowd of over 16,000 at Pearse Stadium and there was no place to hide for manager Alan Mulholland and his players after a traumatic and demoralising Connacht semi-final.
Taking the match at face value, you’d imagine that Galway’s short term future as a footballing force was a write off but, within a couple of months, they were scaring the lives out of Cork in Croke Park. Some pride had been restored with a few more All-Ireland winning U-21s being bloodied as the men in maroon stopped the rot and gave supporters tangible hope that better days might be ahead.
However, 2014 was a slow-burner with more hardship being experienced by the Galway camp. Losing to Leitrim in the FBD League was deflating, but arguably even worse was a Division Two league thumping from Laois. Further bad news was the retirement of Michael Meehan from inter-county football as the Tribesmen struggled to avoid the genuine threat of relegation to the backwoods of Division Three.
In the end, Galway steadied as the league campaign progressed, highlighted by a morale-boosting home win over Down and pushing Ulster champions Monaghan all the way in their final Division Two outing in Clones. Nobody was viewing them as serious championship contenders but, at least, they had toughed out a difficult spring and a couple of their younger brigade were beginning to find their feet at this level.
Still, there was no great confidence behind them heading to Ruislip for their Connacht championship opener against last year’s surprise provincial finalists London, with a minority of fans even fearful that the unthinkable might happen – a victory for the exiles – but Galway flew out of the blocks and though the home resistance was awful, they galloped to a big win in setting up a semi-final clash with Sligo last month.
If only on the basis of the counties’ three previous championship meetings – with Galway winning none of them – it represented a serious enough test of Mulholland’s men, especially at Markievicz Park, and though it wasn’t until the second half that they pulled clear of Sligo, the visitors had a significant superiority in class and pace with Shane Walsh, Danny Cummins, Fiontán Ó Curraoin and Thomas Flynn winning most of the individual plaudits.
In the build up to that game, St. James’ pair Johnny Duane and Eoin Concannon were released from the panel for off-field indiscipline, but Galway readily put that controversy behind them in setting up a final date with Mayo. For their part, the champions received something of a reality check in unimpressively fending off Roscommon’s spirited challenge at Hyde Park even if, in retrospect, it was the perfect outcome for James Horan’s charges – not playing particularly well, but still getting the result.
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.
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.
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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