Sports
Galway boss Cunningham leads team to second All-Ireland final in four years
SUPERLATIVES for Galway’s epic victory over Tipperary in a frenetic All-Ireland senior hurling semi-final at Croke Park rained like confetti in its aftermath on Sunday. Galway fans dug deep to mine for the word that would best describe what they had just seen, what they just felt but, in truth, none existed.
Moments earlier, substitute Shane Moloney, on his debut, struck the winning injury-time point to jettison the Tribesmen into an All-Ireland final meeting against rivals and reigning champions Kilkenny on Sunday, September 6.
With Moloney’s point, an outpouring of powerful emotions washed over Croke Park with all the force of a tsunami. It was raw – on both sides. For this was a game everyone was up for, that every single person put their hearts and souls into, be they player, management or supporter. It was a heavy investment – some might even say a burden – but the rewards were great.
Already on the day, the county’s minors had set the tone with a defiant 3-10 to 0-17 smash and grab victory over Kilkenny in their All-Ireland semi-final replay – another substitute, Cian Salmon, pouncing late on for the winning goal.
No doubt, it was the day of the substitutes, particularly given another sprung from the bench – Jack Kenny – had reignited Galway passions when netting their second goal entering the home stretch. By this time, the Galway support base had been massing. This had tickled its underbelly.
Minor boss Jeffrey Lynskey sensed it too and when he entered the press area pumped on adrenalin, you could be forgiven if you regarded his bold affirmation of “things are changing in Galway; this is a new Galway” as nothing more than the overspill of the battle that had raged. It proved the quote of the day.
For by the time the birds returned to the shelter of the quietening Croke Park rafters that evening, Galway hurling, against the odds, had already built their nests ahead of their September 6 return. “We are delighted to get over the line,” stated Galway senior boss Anthony Cunningham afterwards.
“It (win over Tipperary) someway made up for last year when we were bitterly disappointed being six points up with 10 minutes to go. I suppose, this was a game that had everything really. We got the sucker punch [of a Tipp goal] there at the start but I think we hurled well really.
“We were winning more positions than them after that and then we got the sucker punch again from Seamus Callanan and then a third one. To come back from that! In fairness though, there were some fantastic saves on both sides, no more so than Colm Callanan’s.”
Certainly, Galway had many heroes, Callanan being one of them, but you would have also to tip your hat at the management for holding their nerve. As Seamus Callanan was rifling in goals for fun, the calls from the stands was to switch his marker Padraig Mannion with another back. If only for mercy’s sake.
Cunningham and company though showed nerves of steel to hold firm until late on when John Hanbury was charged with the unenviable task of shadowing the Tipp livewire. Cunningham insisted they had a game-plan and it was one they were determined to live or die by.
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.
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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.
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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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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.
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