Galway Cup 2023 - Day 1 Action Review

The opening day of the Galway Cup was it usual eclectic mix, with great weather, goals galore and thrills all round. 

Eoin Horkan joined the Galway Cup media team this year and here are his synopsis of all the games played. Some old friends dropped by to say hello! Paul Osam, the Ireland Under 16 manager was here to have a look at the emerging talent.

Group A 2011 Boys: Maree Oranmore 0-4 Longford

The side from the northeast had a comfortable victory against one of the local Galway sides.

Longford showed no signs of early morning fatigue as they took control of the early morning game from the start with two early goals from Cian Lawlor and Patrick Wallace.

In the second half Fionn McCormack took control firing in a double to give his side a well-deserved victory in this first round tie.

Group A 2011 Boys: Roscommon Lions 6-1 Clare Blue

The Rossie Lions produced a fine team performance to beat one of the Clare sides by five goals in the 9 o’ clock kick off.

From the start it was the Rossies that took control resulting in an early own goal. From then on, they had five different goal scorers as they produced some excellent football along with some clinical finishes. 

The first strike came from Kevin Chiforiuc before his teammates Tyler Gibbons, Scott Dowd, Eli Kilmartin, and Ritchie Conway. Clare fired in a consolation goal when Gavin Jones opened his account.

Group B 2011 Boys: Wicklow 3-1 Roscommon

In the first morning game on pitch 3 it was a great start for the team from the east coast.

They flew out of the blocks gaining possession early on and making inroads into the opposition defense at will. Eventually this possession resulted in Rian abell Ward opening the scoring in the tie. 

Wicklow kept control until the break. After the interval they broke through for a second goal as Tyler McElvaney fouled his side's advantage.

The southeast side finished their scoring when Ward netted his second of the game. With the final whistle drawing closer Clare added a consolation strike as Wiktor Dabrowskieffort flew into the net.

Group B 2011 Boys: Wilton United 0-6 Salthill Devon FC

The home side produced a clinical display to beat the north Cork side.

From the outset the home side looked like they could score at will, netting a number of goals early in the game. Devon O'Neil opened his account for the tournament with a double before his teammate Rian Clery did the same as the home side took advantage of their dominance.

With the game fizzling out two more goals were added to the tally with Hugh Flynn and finally Nazar Semkiv finished the scoring in this early morning fixture.

Group A 2010 Girls: Salthill Devon FC Girls 1-3 Galway Select Girls

In the first Galway tie of the tournament, it was the selected side that got the better of the home side.

The home side took an early lead in this morning's game with an Ana Conway goal. This early shock kicked the opposition into gear as they wrestled back the momentum. This led to a quick-fire double from Niamh McGauran to give her side the lead. Her teammate Katie Quirke ensured victory with a final goal of the game.

Group A 2010 Girls: Roscommon Girls 0-3 Sligo Leitrim Girls

In one of the first local derbies of the tournament it was the north Connacht side that came out on top in this battle.

Striker AVA HANNILAN smashed two early goals for the north Connacht side as they took complete control of this opening game in the group.

After the break both sides started to create chances and eventually the third goal of the game rattled the back of the net with Hope O’ Brien making sure that her side came away with all three points.

Group A 2010 Girls: Longford Girls 1-4 Galway FA Girls

It was a three-goal victory for Galway’s U12 girls’ team against their Midland rivals.

2008 Premier Group B: Pike Rovers 0-4 Donegal Schoolboys league

The side from the north produced some fine team goals to win easily against their Limerick counterparts.

The northern side showed maturity beyond their years as they controlled this tie from the outset. Within a few minutes they had taken the lead,Brian McFadden.

As the first half went on, they extended their advantage to three by halftime.

The first was a well taken effort from Oisin Feeney before Osin Ebbs got on the end of a fantastic flowing move as the ref blew the half time whistle. It was complete cruise control from Donegal in the second half and they finished the scoring when Tadgh o Baoill opened his tally for the tournament.

Group B 2008 Premier: Clare 1-2 Mervue United

This local derby was a tight tense affair from the start with Mervue just coming out on top in a three-goal thriller.

 After a cagy opening couple of minutes of play it was Clare that started to gain a stranglehold in the middle of the park. As they started to create chances, they finally managed to break the deadlock when winger Alex Guilfoyle found the back of the net.

This early goal kicked the opposition into gear and leveled the tie as history was made when Kian Kirrane the Mervue goalie scored directly from his own box. This turned the tide and Mervue took the lead with a great finish from Michael Bradbury to ensure victory.

Group A 2008 Premier: Glenavon Fc Academy 9-0 Wicklow DSGL

It was the Jake McConville show as he netted five times against Wicklow.

From the start of this tie, it was clear that Glenavon were here to play. Within minutes they had taken the lead through Jake McConville by half time. Glenavon had gone four goals up as they were in complete control.

The second half was much the same as Glenavon broke away a couple of more times ensuring Victory for the northern side.

Goal scorers (Jake McConville x5), Charlie Gault (x2), Ben Wilson, Billy Neely

Group A 2008 Premier: Crusaders Fc 2-0 Murroe AFC

It was the side from Belfast who came out on top in this north vs south battle.

After a tense opening few minutes, Crusaders started to gain control of the ball in the middle third. This eventually led to their first goal of the game when striker Michael Temetan found the back of the net. Up until the break they kept the pressure on but couldn't find that elusive second goal. After the break Murroe battled their way back into the tie but the opposition finished the game off with their second goal from Charlie Magge

Group B 2010 Club: Salthill Devon Fc 1-0 Killarney Athletic

One goal was the difference in this game as the home side made home advantage count.

Both defenses were standing strong for a lot of this game with the goalies making some outstanding saves from the off. As the half drew to a close one could see that there would be nothing between the sides at the end of the tie

Eventually the home side broke through to finish through Jaeson So. They held out in the end for a hard fought one goal win.

Group A 2008 Premier: Midlands Schoolboy League 5-0 Maree Oranmore

The side made up from players for the midlands got the better of their Galway opponents with Diarmuid O’ Higgins netting a double.

From the beginning one could see that the midlands side were here to play as they controlled the ball in the middle while spraying it out to the flanks. Eventually they opened the scoring with a Diarmuid O’ Higgins effort before the same player doubled the lead moments later.

After they break, they kept the pressure on firing in three more goals with Ciarán Cummins, Dylan Dennehy and William Geraghty ensuring they started the tournament with a victory.

Group B 2010 Club: Limerick County 0-4 Greenisland FC

The second Limerick vs north battle of the day went to the side of Antrim.

It was Greenisland that took control of the opening group’s game early on with a double from striker Luke Hill who looked dangerous any time the ball was fedup with him. After this early flurry the game fell into a middle third battle with both sides having periods of dominance.

Eventually the northern side took complete control with their third goal from the boot of Matthew Hair. The final goal in this was a well finishedeffort of the boot of Oliver McBurney

Group A 2010 Club: Cavan Monaghan 6-1 Clare

After taking the lead early the Munster side romped home to a five-goal victory.

Cavan/ Monaghan took the lead early in the first half when striker Brendan McCarney found himself in space before finishing past the goalie. After this early advantage Clare took control as Ned O’ Reilly slotted home twice to give his side the lead as momentum shifted in the contest.

A third strike from Daithi Linnane saw Clare take full control at this stage. With the final whistle getting closer Clare added three more efforts, first off, a strike from Mark Regan along with efforts from Liam Hogan and Kayden Moloney.

Group A 2010 Elite: Dundalk SL 1-0 Clare

The northeastern side came out on top by a solitary goal in this east vs west tie in the opening round.

Anyone in attendance could see that there wouldn't be much between these sides as both battled to gain a foothold. As the tie went on both sides carved out chances but couldn't find that divisive effort. This was until substitute Conall Whyte strike flew into the net to give his side a victory by the narrowest of margins.

Group B 2010 Elite: Limerick County 2-3 Wicklow

The southeast side got the better of the Limerick Countryside in a five-goal thriller in the late afternoon kick off.

The Wicklow side got off to a fantastic start when David McCormac latched on to a through ball before finishing into the opposition net. Wicklow controlled the tie until the interval but couldn't make it, leaving a goal between the sides at the break.

The second half was much more entertaining as Limerick leveled the tie within minutes when JACK ALLEN finished from a corner. Moments later substitute Cian Murphy broke through and won a penalty which he converted on the second attempt.

The southeast side bagged their third goal of the tie off the boot of RhysBehan. As the game drew to a conclusion Limerick narrowed the gap as OISIN PEARL netted, Wicklow held out for a deserved one goal victory.

Group A 2009 Elite: FAI National 2010 Academy 1-1 Leeds United

After an early goal from the Irish side Leeds battled back to earn a draw in this highly anticipated clash.

In what was a tight tense affair from the opening whistle with Leeds controlling the ball from the outset. It was the opposition who broke away against the run of play with Calvin O'Sullivan drilling an effort into the net. This early setback did not affect Leeds as they pressed forward at every opportunity, equalizing when Harry Garthwaite found himself in the perfect position to finish the tie. This ensured that this group was still going to be in a battle.

Group B 2010 Elite: Longford 1-4 Limerick Desmond

This battle of two sides that know each other well saw the west Limerick win comfortably by three goals.

It was the northwestern side who took control of this group game when Ryan Kenny bruised the ball into the opposition net. Within minutes the tie was level through Michael O’ Kelly.

The momentum in this tie had clearly turned in the Limerick side’s favor and they made sure of the victory with three more well taken goals. The first came from midfielder Yuri Sascha, before Conor O’ Dwyer and Leon O’ Connor made sure of the three points.

Group A 2011 Boys: Finn Harps Academy 4-2 Maree Oranmore FC

A Josh O’ Donell hat trick was enough to see the Finn harps academy side overcome another Galway side in Oranmore Maree.

The academy side took advantage early in this group game as Ethan Buchanan opened the scoring. It was then the turn of striker Josh O’ Donnell to take center stage firing in a hat trick as Finn Harps found a purple patch in this game.

As the tie was drawing to a close a quick-fire double from Caolan Toland and Ronan Keating left to goals between the sides at the full-timewhistle.

Group A 2010 Girls: Sligo Leitrim Girls 3-0 Salthill Devon FC

It was the AVA HANNILAN show in this all-Connacht tie with the girls wearing red coming out on top against the home side.

An early goal came from Hope O’ Brien to give the north Connacht side an early   lead. After this early strike it was clear that Sligo Leitrim.

With this dominance the side in red were creating chances with two of them being expertly converted by the aforementioned AVA HANNILAN. This ensured that Sligo Leitrim looked like the team to beat in this group.

Group A 2009 Elite: Glenavon Fc Academy 3-3 Sligo Rovers FC

Glenavon got out of jail by all accounts in this tie in the super elite section.

Sligo looked like they were in complete control in the first half only going in a goal up at the break with a Jack McGowan strike. This one goal lead wasn't enough as Sligo had dominated from the opening whistle.

Within minutes of the restart Glenavon leveled the tie with a penalty converted by Sam Green. This game was more end to end with Sligo taking the lead twice through Patrick Nolan and McGowan again. The opposition responded with Harry Gough and Michael Emerson. This meant that both sides went home from day 1 with a share of the spoils.

Group B 2011 Boys: Clare Yellow 1-5 Salthill Devon FC

After an early goal from Munster, the home side ensured a second victory with a four-goal victory.

Clare had a fantastic start to this tie when Eric Bejunariu opened the scoring. Almost immediately the tie was level when the home side took control with two players netting doubles. The first coming from Keelan Keady before Rian Clery put the advantage out to three goals. The final goal of the game was from the home side as Shay Cox made sure of victory.

Group A 2008 Premier: Salthill Devon FC 1-3 Midlands Schoolboy League

It wasn't to be for the home team in the evening kick off as they were beaten by two goals by their Midland’s counterparts.

They did manage to take an early lead as Jean (m) Harlamovs found the back of the net early in the tie. As the game went on, Midlands gained control back and had gone ahead with goals from Sean Whittaker and Leon Nolan Henderson, With the tie still in the balance it was Tyreece Quinn who stepped up and made sure of the win for his side.

Group B Premier 2008: Dundalk SL 2-1 Donegal Schoolboys league

This evening's battle was well worth attending in Drum as both sides created chances but eventually Dundalk came out on top.

They raced into a two-goal lead with some clinical finishing from Mylka Kaloso and Kyle Callan. A second half response from Kyle Bonner. This wasn't enough as Dundalk held out for victory in this evening's kick off.

Group A 2010 Girls: Roscommon Girls 0-2 Longford Girls

A double from Leah Waters gave Longford a victory in this group game.

From the outset Longford’s midfield battled early control of this tie with Waters up top causing damage any time she got near the ball. Eventually she broke the deadlock with a well-controlledstrike. After taking the lead the Rossie girls battled back into the tie but couldn'tmuster all important equalizers. Eventually theaforementioned Waters doubled her side's tally to guarantee victory at the end of this opening day of games.

Group A 2010 Girls: Galway Select Girls 4-1 Galway FA Girls

The final Galway derby of the day saw the Select side coming out on top by three goals.

An early strike from Keela Donnelly Meehan saw the Select side take an early lead. From then until the break, they kept the pressure on the opposition goal and eventually broke the barrier with a second from Chelsey Akanni. The second half was much the same, this led to a double from Katie Quirke to finish the scoring for the Select side. The FA side managed to nab a consolation effort through Tilly Caroll to ensure they didn't go home completely empty handed.

Group A 2010 Club: Murroe AFC 2-1 Cavan Monaghan

An early double saw the Limerick side gain victory in one of the final games of the day in Drum.

Murroe gained an early advantage in this final game as they battled well around the middle third. Eventually this battle paid off when SONNY RYAN drove through the opposition defense to finish expertly. The lead was doubled as JAMES LONG found himself in the right place to finish well. The final goal of the game came from the opposition with Luke McEnroe ensuring a nervy final few minutes. Unfortunately, they could not find that equalizing goal meaning Murroe held out for victory.

Group A 2010 Club: Crusaders FC 1-1 Clare

One of the final games of day 1 ended in a north vs south battle where nobody could find the elusive winning goal.

The Crusaders opened the scoring in this tie when Odhran Torbitt rattled the back of the net in the opening half. As the tie grew to its conclusion Clare managed to equalize through LiamHogan ensuring that neither side could be separated before the final whistle.

Group B 2010 Club: Salthill Devon FC 2-2 Greenisland FC

There was nothing to separate these two sides in the teatimekick-off on the final day as both sides went home with a share of the points.

The home side took early control and raced into a two-goal lead with efforts from Rahim Latidoye before her partner in crime Jaeson So doubled the advantage.

This wasn't enough for the home side as the opposition leveled the tie with Luke Hill fired in two well taken goals to make sure his side would come away from this teatime game with at least a point.

Group B 20101 Club: Killarney Athletic 5-1 Limerick County

The Kerry side came out on top of this all-Munster affair with four goals to spare at the full-time whistle.

By the interval they had taken a three-goal advantage with a brace from Eanna Hennigan in between a Brendan McHugh effort.  Cian Hegarty and Alan Scannell gave their side a five-goal average with a few minutes to go. It was a final consolation effort from KEVIN REALE that finished the scoring as Limerick found the net in the end.