Sports
Galway minors put Sligo to the sword
Galway 1-13
Sligo 1-7
GALWAY coasted to a six-points victory away to Sligo to earn a place in the Connacht minor football championship semi-final against Mayo this coming Saturday.
A Sligo penalty, converted on the stroke of full-time, put a smidgeon more of a gloss on the scoreboard for the home team who were outplayed for large periods at Markievicz Park last Saturday evening.
It was a spot-kick at the other end that had the biggest impact in terms of the result. That decisive score – a first-half penalty that was in the ‘soft’ category – was the turning point which swung this quarter-final in Galway’s favour but they were full value for the win even if there is major scope for improvement.
Up to the penalty, awarded in the 28th minute of the first-half, Galway were making hard work of it. True, they were six points to three up but Sligo were playing against a fairly strong wind and there was a lack of urgency about Galway’s overall play: They were getting bogged down, taking the wrong options, dropping shots short and sending kickable points wide.
Once full-forward Peter Cooke slotted home the penalty – a sweetly struck shot to the bottom, right-hand side of goalkeeper Daniel Cafferkey – Galway were firmly in the driving seat.
Two further points before the break – one monster long-range effort from Michael Daly and a point from centre-back Colin Brady – effectively sealed the deal. At 1-8 to 0-3 in arrears, theoretically Sligo could have comeback but that was as likely as Longford winning the All-Ireland senior title.
The closest they came to Galway in the second half was six points. John Donnellan’s side delivered the final nail in Sligo’s coffin raising three white flags on the trot in three minutes late-on from two lively substitutes Mark Rohan and Shane Connaughton as well as from corner forward Eoin Finnerty.
Full report in this week’s Connacht 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.
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.
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