Holders Galway braced for big challenge from Cork opponents
ALMOST 11 weeks after they won the Connacht minor ladies football title, All-Ireland champions Galway return to competitive action with a mouth-watering semi-final fixture against Cork at McDonagh Park, Nenagh on Sunday (2pm).
As attractive as this game is, the timing of the fixture has angered many in Galway ladies football circles as, an hour earlier, the Galway seniors play their second All-Ireland round-robin game against Westmeath at Cusack Park, Mullingar.
Originally, the senior game was to go ahead on Saturday but a request from Westmeath some weeks ago saw this game pushed to Sunday. The minor game was initially arranged for 3:45pm in Nenagh – as part of a double header — but the first game on the bill was re-arranged for Saturday and the Galway minor fixture was brought forward as highlighted above.
While clashes with inter-county fixtures in other codes are often unavoidable, it doesn’t reflect well on the LGFA when there is a fixtures clash within the one code. In any event, it splits the loyalties of Galway supporters come Sunday.
For Galway manager Kieran Collins, who guided the young Tribeswomen to All-Ireland minor success with a 5-7 to 2-15 victory over Cork last year, he is remaining focused on the task in hand. He recognises his charges face a big challenge against an outfit smarting from last year’s defeat.
“John Cleary (Cork boss) is on board again this year with them and he is a very experienced manager. He has obviously achieved a lot of success already with the Cork minors (winning several titles) and previously with the Cork U21 lads.
“I believe Cork have eight or nine of last year’s starting team playing again at the weekend. So, they will be strong. They are a typical Cork team the way they set up. They get their wing forwards to drop back into defence and they work the ball through the hands then when they are attacking. They put a lot of faith in their inside line to get the scores for them.”
Cork claimed yet another Munster minor title with a 0-19 to 1-10 triumph over Kerry, with eight of their 2018 squad featuring. These were goalkeeper Sarah Murphy, defenders Roisin Ní Chorcora and Rachel Sheehan, midfielder Eve Mullins, and forwards Abbie O’Mahony, Ellie Jack, Katie Quirke and Fiona Keating.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
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