Sports
Utd return to make their point at bogey ground
Bohemian FC 1
Galway United 1
Galway United returned from the midseason break to take a deserved point from their trip to Dalymount Park on Friday night – they now have another two weeks to reflect on the result after their game with Shamrock Rovers scheduled for this Friday night was postponed.
The decision to scrap Friday’s game was the correct one. Rovers host Rovanieme of Finland in the Europa League qualifiers this Thursday night, but the problem is the FAI knew for some time the dates for first round qualifying, and the Irish teams involved, so surely it wouldn’t have been asking too much to arrange fixtures for this weekend which didn’t involve any of the teams in Europe.
Anyway, suggesting ways the FAI could help improve the league is often as productive as clapping with one hand, so the clubs will just have to once again suffer the indifference of the authorities to the domestic league, one which produced players like Seamus Coleman, Shane Long, Wes Hoolahan, Stephen Ward, James McClean, Darryl Murphy, Stephen Quinn, and David Meyler – in other words, a third of the Irish squad at Euro 2016.
As for Friday night, United bounced back from the concession of an 11th minute goal to go on and dominate the rest of the first-half, and deserved more than the one goal they scored before the break. They were hanging on a bit in the second-half, but still created a couple of decent chances, and all things considered, a draw was the fairest outcome.
United manager Tommy Dunne made four changes from the side that drew 0-0 with Derry City before the midseason break. Marc Ludden (calf) and Enda Curran (groin) were both absent through injury.
Gary Shanahan started on the bench, with Dunne explaining after the game that “the last once or twice here, he found it a bit difficult as they were getting stuck into him”; while Ruairi Keating was dropped for the squad after indicating his desire to leave the club.
That meant returns from injury for Stephen Walsh, Colm Horgan, and Kevin Devaney; while Alex Byrne joined John Sullivan and Ryan Connolly in a three-man midfield.
The heavens opened before kick-off, leaving a very greasy surface and as a result the players struggled to keep their footing, with one such instance leading to Bohs taking the lead in the 11th minute.
The home side had been dominant in the opening stages as United looked leaden-footed, both from the two-week break, and the two-hour trip across the country.
The first threat from Bohs came in the third minute, and resulted in one of three clearances off the line by a United player. Derek Pender drew a good save from Colm Winn for the concession of a corner, but the ’keeper didn’t cover himself in glory when punching the subsequent set-piece up into the air.
Roberto Lopes met the aerial ball to loop a header over the keeper but Walsh was on hand to head off the line at the back post. If that was good play from Walsh, his next involvement eight minutes later was a tad more unfortunate.
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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