Over the weekend nine Galway clubs were in action in the various SFAI age groups and to say that the outcome was a disaster is putting it mildly.

While the luck of the draw had all but two of them away from home, just one win from nine games does not say much for the standing of the local game.

At a time when bywords like ‘coaching’, ‘facilities’, ‘drills’ and ‘emerging talent’ are thrown about like as if all the angles covered, it looks like we are missing the most important word of all – ‘talent’.
It is not as if there games were in the closing stages of the various national competitions, but were mainly in the last 32. Obviously these sides are to be commended on reaching this stage, but the losing sides just scored four goals between them and conceded 34.

All of these sides advanced from the local draw to the national one and are supposed to be the best teams available.

Maree Oranmore were the only Galway side to register a victory and their 6-0 win over Kilnamannagh was pretty emphatic. Aaron Connolly struck a hat trick, while Ronan Ascari, Joshua Keane and Danny Mannering completed their tally.

They have being rewarded with a home tie in the last 16 against either Granada (Dublin) or Auenue United from Ennis.

However, the tale of woe saw Salthill Devon B lose 5-0 away to Mount Merrion in the U-11 Manton Cup, while Cregmore also exited away to Ardee on a 6-2 scoreline.

Barna Furbo were dismissed by 6-1 at home to Malahide United in the U-13 Troy Cup. Evan Coyne capped a marvellous performance by notching the home side’s lone goal and in fairness the visitors scored three of their goals in the last six minutes.

In the U-14 Goodson Cup, Salthill Devon were defeated 6-0 by Templeogue, while Barna Furbo were beaten 2-0 by Leeds United in the U-15 Evans Cup.

Evan a fancied Mervue United could not survive, for despite Andrew Connolly giving them an interval advantage they had to settle for a 1-1 draw away to Malahide United, but subsequently lost the penalty shootout to the hosts in the Evans Cup.
 

In the U-16 Barry Cup, Salthill Devon and Newbridge Town finished scoreless after extra time in the U-16 Barry Cup at Drom, with the visitors prevailing by 4-1 in a shootout. Corofin United went down by 5-0 away to Ashbourne in the same competition.

For more, read this week's Connacht Sentinel.