Double headers down for decision in Tuam and Salthill
Reigning champions Corofin face their biggest challenge since they won a second consecutive All-Ireland club title on St Patrick’s Day when they renew rivalry against a Mountbellew/Moylough outfit that took them to a county final replay last year.
Usually, Corofin look to shift up through the gears around the semi-final or final stages of the county championship, but this quarter-final tie against Mountbellew/Moylough has upped the ante in their bid to secure seven county titles in a row sooner rather than later.
It is an intriguing tie at Tuam Stadium on Sunday and forms part of a double header in which Salthill/Knocknacarra – the only other unbeaten side in the championship along with Corofin – take on an ever-improving Claregalway team.
On Saturday, two other contenders, Tuam Stars and Moycullen face An Spidéal and St. Michael’s respectively in another attractive double-header at Pearse Stadium.
SATURDAY
Tuam Stars v An Spidéal
(Pearse Stadium, 3pm)
The An Spidéal management team is sweating over the fitness of their goalkeeper, Maghnus Breathnach, who sustained a hamstring injury lining out with the club’s hurlers in their IHC defeat to Killimor last Sunday. With Antaine Ó Laoi (shoulder) a long-term injury, the loss of Breathnach would severely damage their hopes of advancing, particularly given his accuracy from long range frees.
That said, mentor Micheál Ó Duinn admits the 2018 county and Connacht intermediate champions are now in bonus territory following their promotion to senior last season. “We are delighted to be in the quarter-finals, given this is our first year back up senior and it is always hard to adapt when you move up a level. This is a free shot for us and we are really looking forward to it,” he says.
Tuam Stars have a clean bill of health for this one, following the return of Cormac McWalter from a hamstring injury. Having already qualified for the County League Final, where they will face Mountbellew/Moylough, manager Tommy Carton acknowledges it has been a good year to date.
“We lost four players this year—okay, Daragh O’ Rourke came back to us this year—but it has been pretty much the same bunch of lads from the last few years and they have reacted very well to us. We are facing An Spidéal now and they are a good football side, well able to play. They are very similar to Claregalway, in that they are very comfortable on the ball,” notes the Tuam Stars boss.
Verdict: Tuam Stars.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
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