West and Devon tipped to advance to Connacht final

LOCAL SOCCER WRAP WITH MIKE RAFFERTY

Galway clubs are dominating the last four of the Connacht Junior Cup with three sides involved in Sunday’s semi-finals as West United host Westport United in Eamonn Deacy Park, while in Drom, Salthill Devon will host St Bernard’s. Both games kick off at 2pm.

West’s game has been moved to the home of Galway football by the Connacht FA after the Government announced that all sporting fixtures must be played behind closed doors. The clash has the potential to be a competitive affair, as Rodney Grant’s West outfit welcome a Mayo side they last faced and defeated in 2009.

Good fortune has followed West United throughout the competition as this is their fifth game in succession to be drawn at home and with a strong local support, that is an advantage. They have seen off Ballisodare (2-1), Ballyheane (8-1), Hibernians (2-0) and Carbury by 2-1 on their way to the semi-final.

After a lacklustre display in their city derby against Hibs, where goals from Nathan Ward and Simon Murray were eventually enough to see them advance, they upped their game a few levels to see off Sligo visitors Carbury in the last eight.

The likes of Denis Lydon, Barry McEntee, Ronan Caldwell and Eoin Whelan are all big game players, but the side will have to maintain a higher standard if they are to advance from Sunday’s contest.

Westport are not the all dominating powerful side they were years ago. Time has caught up with a lot of those players and just goalkeeper Gary Cunningham and central defender Joe Lawless remain of a squad who were the dominant side in Mayo for a number of years.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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