Sports
United boss Dunne seeks better discipline ahead of away tie with Rovers
HAVING praised the character of his side in recent weeks, Galway United manager Tommy Dunne has a new message for his players after picking up three red cards in three games: discipline.
United had Sam Oji sent-off against Drogheda United on Friday March 20, but after serving a one-game ban in the game against Cork City, Oji returned for last Friday’s home game with Longford Town only to see red for a second time in a game which also saw Stephen Walsh sent for an early shower.
Walsh was sent off in the 27th minute for a last-man tackle on Gary Shaw when the United were leading 1-0. Longford equalised in first-half injury-time, and scored the winner in time added-on at the end of the second-half. As Longford’s players wheeled away to celebrate, defender Pat Flynn turned back to confront Oji, who appeared to strike Flynn and as a result both players were shown a straight red card.
Walsh and Oji will miss tonight’s game against Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght Stadium (8pm), but while Walsh will return for next Monday’s game against Cockhill Celtic in Eamonn Deacy Park in the EA Sprots Cup (5pm), Oji faces a prolonged spell on the sidelines.
Because last Friday was his second red card of the season, Oji has been handed a three-game ban; and he has also been handed an additional one-match ban, believed to be for comments he made on social media, possibly in relation to this tweet sent after the win over Drogheda United: “Great character & resilience showed by the boys 2night deserved 3points . . on the flipside refs should be held accountable 4 sh*t decisions”.
As a result, Dunne is missing his two first-choice centre-halves for tonight’s trip to Dublin, and he admits that has made a difficult tie even more challenging.
“Tallaght Stadium is a tough place to go and Shamrock Rovers have a very good squad who would be expected to challenge [for the title] this year, so it would be hard enough to go there with a full squad, but it will be even more tough now that we’re missing a few bodies,” Dunne said.
Given the fact Walsh and Oji are suspended – and David O’Leary has been ruled out with a knee injury – United’s chances of improving on a run of just one win in five league games look remote, especially given the squad Pat Fenlon has at his disposal.
They have a solid back four of Simon Madden, Conor Kenna, David Webster and David O’Connor; former Irish internationals Keith Fahey (16 caps) and Stephen McPhail (10 caps) form a formidable midfield partnership; and while they have struggled for goals so far, it is only a matter of time before the likes of Danny North and Kieran Waters find their range.
They are one of just three sides unbeaten this season – Dundalk and Cork City are the others – and will view tonight’s game as a banker, so United will need to be at their best, their disciplined best, to get anything from the game.
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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