Sports
Former All-Ireland Club champions defeat Mellows to secure senior status
St. Thomas’ 0-19
Liam Mellows 0-12
A strong opening half showing by St. Thomas’ was crucial in their victory over Liam Mellows in their senior hurling relegation play off tie in Clarinbridge on Sunday. By half time, the 2012 county champions led by 0-14 to 0-6 with Mellows largely out of sorts during this half.
However despite being the better team, St.Thomas’ were fortunate to record such a comfortable looking victory. Liam Mellows surged into the game in the third quarter when restricting St.Thomas’ to a solitary Eanna Burke point, while they registered five points to narrow their arrears to 0-15 to 0-11.
Indeed, Liam Mellows could have been closer to St.Thomas’ as in the 45th minute following a foul on Aonghus Callanan, a penalty was awarded. David Collins though saw his penalty effort blocked by Sean Skehill. Amazingly, Liam Mellows also missed a second penalty two minutes from time with Collins’ shot being repelled by David Burke.
That said, a wasteful St.Thomas’ side were the sharper outfit and deservedly carried the day – they shot 12 wides, seven in the second half.
Anthony Kelly, lining out at full forward, caused serious problems for the Liam Mellows defence in the opening quarter. His four points helped St.Thomas’ into a 0-7 to 0-2 lead. Their other points came from Eanna Burke, James Regan and Conor Cooney, from a free.
Liam Mellows relied on two Adrian Morrissey scores from the placed ball. A third Morrissey effort coupled to scores from Enda Fallon and David Collins, with Richie Murray replying for St. Thomas’, saw Mellows cut the deficit, 0-8 to 0-5, nine minutes from half time.
Mellows were to add only one further score in the half, that an excellent Sean Morrissey effort, on 27 minutes. St. Thomas’ were impressive during this time – Conor Cooney pointed three frees, Eanna Burke scored from a sublime sideline cut with Cian Kelly and James Regan, operating to good effect from the middle of the field, also hitting the target as the former All-Ireland champions opened up a six point interval lead.
The sides traded early second half scores through Adrian Morrissey and Eanna Burke with his side’s only point of the third quarter. Liam Mellows eventually settled into the game as Morrissey, Tadhg Haran, Enda Fallon and Morrissey, again, all hit scores to leave only four points between the sides, at 0-15 to 0-11, with 11 minutes remaining.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Galway United 1
Longford Town 0
Keith Kelly at Eamonn Deacy Park
IT is six of the best from Galway United on Friday night as Darren Clarke got one over on the club he joined United from in the off-season when his cross was deflected past visiting goalkeeper Jack Brady by Viktor Serdeniuk for an OG 15 minutes from time to see the Tribesmen start a season with six wins on the bounce for the first time in the history of the club.
United have often found Longford to be obdurate opponents – most recently, the Midlanders ended their previous unbeaten start to last season – and they almost proved party-poopers again on Friday when the hosts failed to turn their almost complete dominance of possession and territory into goals.
It was a tough watch at times, with United lacking that bit of quality up front, and while they got away with it on Friday night, those ongoing struggles in front of goal must be a concern at this stage, with Rob Manley surely worth a chance to prove his worth in upcoming games.
That is for another day, though, and should not take away from the achievement in making it six wins from six, which already has the Tribesmen six points clear at the top of the table, and has been such a statement of intent that Waterford FC have already blinked.
The Blues sacked manager Danny Searle earlier this week after their own ordinary start has left them 10 points behind United, albeit having played a game less after their meeting with Treaty United in the Markets Field last Friday was called off due to an unplayable pitch.
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.
GALWAY United’s perfect start to the season sees them up at the top of the pile and there to be shot at, but assistant manager Ollie Horgan says that is exactly the kind of pressure all at the club were hoping for heading into the season.
The Tribesmen have won their first six games of the season for the first time in the club’s history, and they will bid to extend that – and match its best-ever run of seven on the spin – by taking all three points from their trip east on the M6 this Friday to take on Athlone Town at Lissywollen (7.45pm).
“Ah, we will take that pressure any day of the week, it is a little bit different, I had been in that position with Finn Harps way back, being top of the league, and Wexford eventually caught us because we couldn’t keep it going. We need to keep it going and if we are playing poorly, we need to try and pick something up,” says United assistant manager, Horgan, referencing the 2015 season when Harps finished second in the table to Wexford, having led for much of the campaign.
“We have a hugely difficult game on Friday against a damn good Athlone side. A lot of teams struggle down there, Finn Harps struggled down there in Athlone’s first home game; Treaty were 2-0 up and Athlone were down to 10 men and they got back into the game.
“They are a handful, they have energy, they have good players and a lot of pace and power about them. Athlone are a much better side than they were last season and we are just hoping we are a better side than last year also,” Horgan said.
The Midlands outfit have made a decent start to the season, winning the Midlands El Classico 3-1 away to Longford Town on the opening day of the season, and following that up with a 3-1 win at home to Harps the following week.
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.
Galwegians 12
Belfast Harlequins 31
A week of rain gave way to some early spring sunshine last Saturday at Crowley Park, but it shone mainly for the visitors as this defeat for Galwegians coupled with Enniscorthy’s win at home to Malahide, saw the Blues fall to the foot of the table.
Galwegians got the afternoon’s game underway kicking off towards the clubhouse end, and the first five minutes consisted of kick tennis and several lineouts, with Galwegians looking the better of the two sides, winning the first four lineouts.
The Blues set-piece put the visitors under immense pressure, forcing them back to defend on their goal line, but as has been all season, Galwegians would prove to be their own worst enemy, a knock-on at the line costing them the chance, and Harlequins then cleared their lines after winning a scrum penalty.
The Belfast side worked themselves into a scoring position after Galwegians’ ill-discipline allowed the visitor to creep within range of the posts, and centre Paul Kerr’s kick cleared the posts from inside the 10-metre line, to give the Ulster men a 3-0 lead.
Harlequins soon found the first try of the afternoon off the back of an overthrown line out, with Kerr putting on the footwork, turning back against traffic and finding a gap in the Galwegians’ defence, to sail over the whitewash. Kerr pushed them further ahead as he added the extras to make it 10-0.
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.
Green light for Galway’s first Wetherspoons at Eglinton Street
Survey finds public in Connacht score 53% in “financial literacy”
Fitzmaurice says Green Party in Government is “pup pulling the dog”
Gardaí appeal for information for missing 25 year old Loughrea man
Boil Water Notice issued for 1,000 customers Loughrea Town
City seeks to annex Oranmore, Claregalway, Moycullen and Barna in boundary extension
Man awarded €142,000 over unprovoked attack in toilet of County Galway pub
Woman convicted of harassing social media guru
Galway family’s plea – help us save our home
Bono has finally found what’s he’s looking for!
