Galway Advertiser 2010/GA_2010_02_11/GA_1102_E1_117.pdf 

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February 11 2010

AdvertiserSport
Tel: 091 530900 I Fax: 091 567150 I www.advertiser.ie
SPORTS EDITOR: LINLEY MacKENZIE I CONTACT: 091 530 929 I OR EMAIL sport@galwayadvertiser.ie / lmackenzie@galwaydvertiser.ie

McIntyre urges a Hession sprints to clinical approach another Irish title to Walsh Cup final
Following their narrow 1-22 to 2-16 win over Offaly at O'Connor Park last weekend, the Galway hurlers take on Dublin in the Walsh Cup final this Sunday at Parnell Park in Dublin (12.45pm). Galway manager John McIntyre was not impressed by his charges last Saturday when they allowed Offaly to come back from nine points down and put it up to his side in the last quarter. "We've got to concentrate for the full 70 minutes. We've got to be more clinical and ruthless. Obviously when you are nine points up midway through the second half, you'd like to walk off winning by 12, 13 or 14 points," he said. On the positive side Galway have introduced nine or 10 players to the cut-and-thrust of inter-county action over the past few weeks, and with the Portumna players possibly not available for another few weeks, it gives the Galway management the ideal opportunity to give game time to new squad members. More good news is the expected return of former captain David Collins, who has been out of action for two and a half years since suffering an ankle injury playing for Connacht in an inter-provincial. The Liam Mellows clubman joined the Galway squad this week after returning from Australia and is named on the bench for Sunday's final. The only change to the starting line-up sees Colm Callanan come in for regular goalkeeper James Skehill. Traditionally Galway would be expected to see off Dublin with some ease, but Anthony Daly is making a big impact in the capital. The Dubs beat Wexford in Gorey last weekend by four points with a solid performance. Dublin have some top-class players, such as current All-Star Alan McCrabbe, who hit 0-6 (2fs) from full-forward, and half backs Stephen Hiney, Ronan Fallon and Maurice O'Brien. Former football All-Star Shane Ryan, who re-joined the hurlers this season, adds power and penetration at centre-forward. He scored 1-1 from play against Wexford. McIntyre knows his panel face a tough game next Sunday as he pointed out during the week. "We were hurled off the field by Dublin in the league last year and they won't be the slightest bit afraid of Galway. Dublin hurling is on an upward curve. They have a good manager and we're not going to get anything soft up there." Some early season silverware would provide a nice boost to morale Olympic athlete Paul Hession was back in action last weekend at the Woodie's DIY Senior Irish Championships in the Odyssey Arena, Belfast, posting a winning time in the 60m sprint. The Athenry athlete successfully defended his title, posting a time of 6.88 seconds in the heats, which he followed with 6.75 seconds in the semi-final. This improved on his seasonal best of 6.78 seconds which he ran at IAAF indoor meet in Karlsruhe Germany last weekend. Hession went on to run 6.76 seconds in the final - although this was .04 slower than last year. Nineteen-years-old Dean Adams of Ballymena posted a personal best of 6.89 seconds to finish second. Hession will not compete in the World Indoor Championships in Doha as his focus for 2010 is the European Track and Field Championships in Barcelona in August. He is also hoping to break his own Irish record for the 100m of 20.30 seconds during the year which he set in 2007. There were more medal winning performances from Galway athletes. Hession's Athenry teammate Claire McNamara won bronze in the high jump, clearing 1.65m, while Galway City Harriers' Sean Breathnach took silver in

Former captain David Collins who returns to the Galway panel this weekend.

in the panel before the start of the National Hurling League against Limerick on Sunday week and with some added vocal support from the Portumna aficionados in attendance, perhaps the likes of Ger Farragher, Joe Gantley and David Burke, who have been in good form, can drive the team to victory. Galway (SH v Dublin): C Callanan; D Joyce, S Kavanagh, P Holland; D Barry, T Og Regan, K Hynes; G Farragher, N Cahalan; A Callanan, C Donnellan, D Burke; A Harte, J Gantley, N Hayes.

the men's shot putt for the second year in a row with a throw of 15.28m. . He finished behind guest Jamie Stevenson and Kieren Kelly, who have both been provisionally suspended from all competition after being charged by UK Anti-Doping with having committed an anti-doping rule violation. In other events GCH middle distance runner Joseph O'Donnell ran an indoor PB in the heats of the men's 800m with a time of 1m 59.60 secs, with teammates Eddie Costello 2m.04 and Brendan Glynn GCH 2m.13 secs. In road running Tony Scanlon of Galway City Harriers won the inaugural School 5k Run in Newcastle, Athenry in a time of 16:52 ahead of Peter O'Sullivan of Craughwell AC. In Westport the 5k race, which concludes the 2009 Mayo Road race series was finally held with Gerry Ryan of GCH winning the event in 15.34, his fifth victory in the series and enough to claim the series title. It was a treble in the series for Galway with Martin Corcoran of Craughwell AC winning the over 40 for both this race and the Mayo series, and Bernie Kelly of GCH claimed the same honour in the female over 45 category.

Maree 8k run
Maree will host an 8k run and community 5k fun walk on Saturday with funds raised being used to improve sporting facilities in the Maree and Oranmore areas. Supported by Elverys Sports, the 8k run, which is AAI certified, commences 1pm, followed by the family walk at 1.45pm. Seven category prizes will be awarded for the run, in addition to prizes for walkers, children, and those in fancy dress. The first 50 females across the finish line will receive T-shirts in honour of St Valentine's Day. The course is over open roads, finishing at the Community Centre car park. Runners can register at www.runireland.com.

Moycullen host big guns in Superleague action Craughwell
Moycullen are hoping for strong home support this weekend when they return to Superleague basketball action and face two big games in two days. In what is expected to be tough weekend, Moycullen face play-off contenders DCU Saints from Dublin on Saturday, and then defending league champions UCC Demons from Cork on Sunday. NUIG will host Saturday's game at 6pm, while the clash with Demons takes place the following day in Calasanctius Apart from a question mark over veteran John Cunningham, Moycullen enter the weekend with a fully fit team. However, having played just two games in six weeks, it is the lack of match fitness that concerns coach Enda Byrt. " The big challenge has been maintaing sharpness with such a layoff," he says. " The Demons game should have been earlier in the season but its rescheduling has left us with only one game since the Christmas break." "Training has been going great, but it's games you need. If we can play at game intensity at the weekend, I'm confident we can get two wins," he says. DCU, despite an erratic season, boast considerable depth of talent in their squad with multiple players averaging double figures in points. Any one of seven or eight players pose a scoring threat if Moycullen's defence allows. In their previous meeting DCU bossed the Galway side around the court and Moycullen cannot let that happen again. They will need to match DCU physically, and if they can manage that, they have the players to pick up the home win. Champions UCC Demons are next up and this is a game Moycullen will face with a certain amount of optimism, having pushed them close in Cork earlier in the season. The home side will feel they have improved considerably since then, while also adding American Nate Fritsch to the team and Garnett Griffin, who has also returned to full fitness. Moycullen will hope the home crowd, which has been inspiring this season, will help secure victories in what will be Moycullen's second last home fixture of the Superleague season. Craughwell jockey Alain Cawley was celebrating the biggest win of his racing career when he steered Joncol home to claim the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown at the weekend. The win in Ireland's premier Steeplechase has attracted widespread attention in the racing world for the 22years-old Galway jockey, whose parents own Cawley's Pub in Craughwell. Known in racing circles as Squeaky, Alain Cawley is regarded as one of Ireland's up and coming jockeys. Always interested in the equestrian world, hunting with the Galway Blazers and working with trainer Paul Gilligan, he

celebrates Cawley's Gold Cup win
joined Nolan's stable in Wexford aged 16. However the young jockey has been a patient apprentice. Although he had his first race at the 2004 Listowel Harvest Festival, it was not until 2006 that he rode his first winner. In 2008 Cawley's career took off, culminating in his selection on an Irish team invited to Australia to compete in a series of races. And last weekend, after a disappointing third on Joncol in the Lexus Chase, Cawley pounced after the last jump, beating the Willie Mullins-trained Cooldine in the 20th running of the Hennessy Gold Cup.

College in Oranmore at 4pm. The game was to have taken place in Leitir Mor at 2pm, but due

to a double-booking, Calasanctius has made its gym available at short notice. Both sides present a huge challenge for Moycullen who, having managed to secure three wins to date, have not managed a win over one of the league's "elite" sides.