Sports
Tribeswomen stay on track for league semi-finals with narrow win
Galway 1-13
Offaly 3-5
THREE late points last Sunday helped Galway to their second victory in the National Senior Camogie League and booked a winner-takes-all meeting with Wexford.
White flags for Niamh McGrath, Niamh Kilkenny and Jessie Gill got the maroon and white over the line against a stubborn Offaly outfit disappointed to take nothing from this game.
Galway did make life much harder for themselves. Against the wind, they led 1-5 to 1-3 at half-time. And within four minutes of the restart, that margin was five with McGrath adding two frees and Ailish O’Reilly pointing from play. But the strong work rate being put in by the Tribeswomen conceded lapses of concentration as the Faithful County struck for two goals.
Cailin Fitzgerald made a telling impact in the 35th minute when she held off tight marking to score a second Offaly goal. And five minutes later, what should have been a routine Galway clearance allowed Roisin Egan deliver towards Niamh Larkin who left Susan Earner no chance for a 3-3 to 1-8 advantage. And it should have been better for the home side when Rachel Brennan sliced another ball wide with the goal at her mercy.
The sides shared the next four scores as two Flannery frees were countered by McGrath and O’Reilly leaving it 3-5 to 1-10. O’Reilly, in particular, was having a storming performance and finished with 1-5. And she could have had more as goal chances were denied by Fiona Stephens and Mairead Jennings.
Eventually, Galway got on level terms again when McGrath pointed and they then showed their resilience to close the game out. Kilkenny stepped in for a good effort from distance for the lead before the just introduced Gill scored immediately to secure the points.
It was an open contest on a day attacks would dominate and poor misses in the first quarter denied a higher scoring encounter. Flannery opened for Offaly in the fourth minute before O’Reilly responded within 60 seconds for the equaliser.
Shauna Healy and Lorraine Ryan were standing out in the half back line and Healy created two Galway attacks before the ten minute mark. The first involving Emma Kilkelly and Laura Mitchell saw Niamh Hanniffy get closed out.
But there was more success with the second! Started by Healy, the returning Sarah Dervan, Kilkenny and Hanniffy all played a part with O’Reilly showing her poaching instincts to hand pass to the net for a 1-1 to 0-1 scoreline.
Galway should have pushed on but were behind within four minutes. Flannery sent over a 45 but when Michaela Morkam sent a fierce ball down the central channel, Tina Hannon had stolen a march in anticipation to gain possession before striking past Earner to make it 1-2 to 1-1.
Anne Marie Starr got Galway back on track in the 16th minute and they finished strongly with O’Reilly (2) and McGrath on target before Flannery left it 1-5 to 1-3 at the break. It could have been easier in the second 30 minutes but when needed, Galway got the winning points. Level on top of Group A on five points with Limerick, and a point ahead of Wexford, any result against the Slaneysiders will see the Tribeswomen into the league semi-finals for the first time since 2012.
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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