All Ireland Hurling Championship Semi-Final
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All-Ireland SHC: Gritty Galway advance
All-Ireland SHC Quarter-Final – Galway 1-20 Tipperary 1-18
By Stephen Barry at TUS Gaelic Grounds
Galway showed the greater edge to grind out their own slice of history with a third consecutive Championship win over Tipperary to send them into a semi-final rematch with Limerick.
Galway blazed 18 wides and saw a hat-trick of goals saved by Rhys Shelly, but still refused to be headed by Tipp from the fourth minute onwards, with Conor Whelan scoring 1-4 and threatening so much more.
Liam Cahill’s side produced a replica of their first-half no-show against Waterford as their starting full-forward line failed to score. Although John McGrath’s goal put them within a point, they never truly looked like saving their Championship prospects in front of 34,180 fans at the Gaelic Grounds.
Tipperary were blessed to go in just three points down at half-time. Galway’s execution was flawed, too.
Tipp chose Dan McCormack to tackle Whelan, with Cathal Barrett out on Brian Concannon, but they reversed those roles as Whelan slipped both markers for back-to-back goal chances.
Meanwhile, Galway deployed Seán Linnane to track Noel McGrath all around the Ennis Road. Although the Tipp captain got off three early shots, they never adjusted to the wind with each drifting wide.
The sides evenly shared the first 12 scores before Galway began to sense Tipp were there for the taking.
Séamus Callanan picked up on a giveaway puck-out but his run for goal ended with a Gearóid McInerney block. From there, all the rest of the goal chances were Galway’s.
Whelan slipped inside twice, once forcing a fine save from Shelly but having to settle for a pointed Evan Niland free from the next.
Galway went on a four-point streak, with two each from Niland and Whelan, although Shelly again saved Tipp when deflecting the latter Whelan effort over with his trailing leg.
Barrett then made a crucial sliding tackle to sweep the sliotar away from Whelan with the goal gaping.
A Jason Forde free (his fifth point) left Tipp just three back, 0-10 to 0-7.
But Cahill’s half-time team talk was thrown to the wind when Tipp conceded a goal straight from the throw-in. Just 20 seconds had passed by the time Whelan had taken advantage of Barrett’s slip and on this occasion, he made no mistake to dispatch his seventh goal of this campaign.
Michael Breen took his turn as Tipp’s third defender seconded onto Whelan.
Gearóid O’Connor and Conor Bowe were drafted in for last week’s hat-trick hero Mark Kehoe and Callanan as Tipp tried to reel in Galway.
O’Connor and Alan Tynan split the posts before the latter skittled a shot across the Galway goal from a tight angle.
But when Cianan Fahy (0-2), Daithí Burke, and Whelan reeled off the next four points, the gap was eight.
Tipp responded with four of their own, from Forde (0-2), Ronan Maher, and Johnny Ryan as they began to dig in.
Somehow, on 62 minutes, Tipp were back within one. Bowe delivered the ball in behind; Forde couldn’t connect but John McGrath did with a sweet groundstroke roofed to the net.
Tom Monaghan came off the bench to land two points, but Séamus Kennedy produced two of his own in reply.
They could’ve killed it when Tipp were caught playing around at the back but Shelly bailed out his defenders with a sprawling save from Fahy.
It was as if Niland was going unmarked as he got onto the world of ball down the right wing in the closing stages, landing a point, sending another wide, winning a free he converted himself, and laying on Monaghan’s third point to clinch it.
Limerick, welcoming hosts and interested observers, lie in wait next.
Scorers for Galway: Evan Niland 0-8 (7fs), Conor Whelan 1-4, Tom Monaghan 0-3, Cianan Fahy 0-2, Daithí Burke, Joseph Cooney, Ronan Glennon 0-1 each.
Scorers for Tipperary: Jason Forde 0-10 (8fs), John McGrath 1-0, Alan Tynan, Séamus Kennedy 0-2 each, Michael Breen, Ronan Maher, Gearóid O’Connor, Johnny Ryan 0-1 each.
GALWAY: Éanna Murphy; Darren Morrissey, Gearóid McInerney, Jack Grealish; Seán Linnane, Daithí Burke, Pádraic Mannion; Joseph Cooney, Ronan Glennon; Brian Concannon, Cianan Fahy, Cathal Mannion; Conor Whelan, Kevin Cooney, Evan Niland.
Subs: Tom Monaghan for Glennon (49), Conor Cooney for Concannon (55), Jason Flynn for K Cooney (62), Fintan Burke for McInerney (64), Liam Collins for Fahy (70+3).
TIPPERARY: Rhys Shelly; Michael Breen, Eoghan Connolly, Dan McCormack; Bryan O’Mara, Ronan Maher, Cathal Barrett; Conor Stakelum, Alan Tynan; Séamus Kennedy, Jason Forde, Noel McGrath; Jake Morris, Séamus Callanan, Mark Kehoe.
Subs: Gearóid O’Connor for Callanan (HT), Conor Bowe for Kehoe (HT), Johnny Ryan for Stakelum (50), John McGrath for N McGrath (53), Jack Ryan for Tynan (70+1).
Referee: John Keenan (Wicklow).
Leinster SHC Final: Kilkenny strike late to break Galway hearts
Leinster SHC Final
KILKENNY 4-21 GALWAY 2-26
By John Harrington at Croke Park
A Leinster Senior Hurling Championship that had shivered in the shadow of the Munster equivalent burst into life in a sun-dappled Croke Park today.
It had a bit of everything. Scores galore, sumptuous moments of skill, big hits, seat of the pants defending, and then finally an outrageous conclusion to it all.
The Galway players will be feeling bereft. They showed great guts to come from eight points down in the final 20 minutes of normal time to push two ahead in extra-time.
But in a final frantic passage of play when cool heads were needed they failed to clear their lines from the bottom left corner of the pitch with the ball doing a good impression of a hot potato.
Eventually it found its way to Padraic Mannion who was in the unfortunate position of having no hurley in his hands.
He felt the percentage play was to kick the ball down field as far as he possible could, but unfortunately for him and his Galway team-mates it went straight down the throat of Cillian Buckley who did brilliantly to weave his way past a couple of would-be tackles and plant the winning goal to the back of the net.
It was an incredible way to win a provincial title and joins a rich canon of Kilkenny victories chiselled from the face of adversity.
When the final whistle blew Galway players fell to the turf in utter dejection, and your heart went out to one of them in particular – Conor Whelan.
He’d been a force of nature throughout the game, scoring 1-6 from play with most of those scores from the very top drawer.
Thanks in no small part to the Kinvara man, Galway had looked like the sharper team in the opening exchanges, scoring the first three points of the match.
The Tribesmen were 0-5 to 0-1 ahead by the eight minute and looking confident, but then that cats finally showed their claws by scoring the first goal of the game.
Martin Keoghan raced onto a pass from David Blanchfield and then batted a smart finish past the advancing Eanna Murphy in what was a typically clinical finish by the Tullaroan man.
Points followed from TJ Reid, Eoin Cody, Cian Kenny and David Blanchfield and now it was Kilkenny on top, and leading by three points, 1-6 to 0-6.
Such was the nature of this match though that it was inevitable Galway would strike back because both sets of forwards looked like they had the beating of their markers.
On 18 minutes Conor Whelan zoomed onto a pass from Cathal Mannion and emphatically drilled a glorious low shot past Eoin Murphy for the equalising goal.
Now it was Galway with a power surge as Evan Niland landed a monster free from inside his own ’45 and Whelan and Kevin Cooney followed up with two classy points to push their advantage to three points.
It didn’t last long. Six minutes after coming on as a sub Walter Walsh proved he remains a hard man to stop when he’s full flight as did brilliantly to claim a high delivery and then ran 35 yards before firing a ruthless finish low and hard past Éanna Murphy.
For the remainder of the half the action swung this way and that as both teams combined some imaginative attacking play with seat of the pants defending.
By the time the half-time whistle blew both teams had managed three more points and were level, Galway 1-12 Kilkenny 2-9.
The first five minutes of the second-half followed that same over and back pattern, but then Kilkenny were emboldened to take a grip on the game by a sensational Mikie Butler goal.
The corner-back had followed the play down the field and when he took a popped handpass from David Blanchfield had only one thing on his mind as he bore straight down on goal and then finished with elan from a tricky angle.
Most of the play began flowing towards Galway’s goal now, and they were struggling to contain the Kilkenny attack, especially Eoin Cody who was turning the heat up on Padraic Mannion.
When points from him, Walter Walsh, and John Donnelly put the Cats 3-17 to 1-15 ahead after 50 minutes, Galway’s hopes seemed to be fading fast.
They needed a big moment and substitute Jason Flynn provided it, banging home a goal after Whelan did brilliantly to create the opportunity. The lively Evan Niland followed up with a point, and Galway suddenly had momentum again.
Now they were no longer so reliant on Whelan for inspiration, as Brian Concannon, Kevin Cooney, and Niland all began to trouble the Kilkenny defence in the final quarter of the match.
They drew level on 67 minutes when Niland banged over a free and then one from play, and held the whip hand in injury-time as Cooney, Niland, and Concannon slung over three points in quick succession.
But a Kilkenny team is never beaten, and when it really didn’t look likely they somehow found a way to win it with that last-gasp Buckley goal.
Scorers for Kilkenny: TJ Reid 0-9 (6f), Walter Walsh 1-2, Mikey Butler 1-0, Martin Keoghan 1-0, Cillian Buckley 1-0, Eoin Cody 0-3, Cian Kenny 0-2, John Donnelly 0-2 David Blanchfield 0-1, Padraig Walsh 0-1, Billy Drennan 0-1
Scorers for Galway: Evan Niland 0-12 (8f), Conor Whelan 1-6, Jason Flynn 1-0, Brian Concannon 0-3, Kevin Cooney 0-3, Cathal Mannion 0-1, Joseph Cooney 0-1
KILKENNY: Eoin Murphy; Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor, Tommy Walsh; Conor Fogarty, David Blanchfield, Darragh Corcoran; Cian Kenny, Paddy Deegan; Tom Phelan, John Donnelly, Billy Ryan; Martin Keoghan, TJ Reid, Eoin Cody. Subs: Walter Walsh for Martin Keoghan (19), Padraig Walsh for Conor Fogarty (52), Cillian Buckley for Darragh Corcoran (58), Timmy Clifford for Tom Phelan (61), Billy Drennan for Billy Ryan (68)
GALWAY: Éanna Murphy; Jack Grealish, Gearóid McInerney, Darren Morrissey; Padraic Mannion, Daithí Burke, Fintan Burke; Joseph Cooney, Cathal Mannion; Tom Monaghan, Conor Cooney, Kevin Cooney; Conor Whelan, Brian Concannon, Evan Niland. Subs: Jason Flynn for Tom Monaghan (47), Sean Linnane for Conor Cooney (60), TJ Brennan for Darren Morrissey (64)
Ref: Sean Stack (Dublin)
Electric Ireland MHC Final: Impressive Clare secure silverware
Electric Ireland Minor Hurling Championship Final
Clare 2-22 Galway 4-11
By Stephen Barry at FBD Semple Stadium
Clare produced a monumental performance on the big day to claim their second All-Ireland minor hurling title. They conceded a pair of goals early and late but in between, they were unstoppable.
Their defence led by Eoghan Gunning, James Hegarty, and Jamie Moylan limited a Galway attack that had outscored their opponents by 100 points across six games.
At the other end, they took a Galway defence that had never allowed more than 0-14 in any match for 2-22, with the goals arriving at the start of the second half from Ógie Fanning and Hegarty. By the end, they had 12 scorers, including four subs.
They celebrated their first title at this grade since the double of 1997 with Gunning raising the Irish Press Cup in Semple Stadium’s New Stand.
Galway had two goals inside 13 minutes but their shooting was otherwise pock-marked by wides (six in that same period).
An Aaron Niland free from inside his own 45 proved more dangerous when dropping short. The towering Jason Rabbitte snatched it out of the air and flicked into the empty net.
Then, Conor Gilligan was first onto a breaking ball and sent Cullen Killeen into space. He shook off a foul and used the advantage to roof the sliotar past the covering defender and keeper.
But each time Clare came back to level and then lead. They had four of the next five points after Rabbitte’s goal, with an early brace for Michael Collins.
Once Killeen netted, they enjoyed the best spell, scorching over five of the next seven points, with two each from Seán Arthur and free-taker Marc O’Brien as well as a sensational Fanning effort.
When Rabbitte raised a 27th-minute white flag, it was Galway’s only point from play all half.
A Niland bouncer tested Mark Sheedy’s reflexes, but Clare finished the half ahead, 0-12 to 2-5. Their defence started in the full-forward line and was summarised when they intercepted back-to-back short puck-outs, although both were shot wide, before forcing the goalie to overcarry for a tap-over free.
Clare lost full-back Ronan Keane to an apparent hamstring injury while Galway centre-back Donnacha Campbell was also removed at the break.
Galway’s skillful short-passing game was being tested like never before and it came under greater stress when Clare added two goals within seven minutes.
O’Brien’s run created the first. He lobbed the ball straight off his hurley into Fanning’s path and the corner-forward artfully delayed his shot before tapping in.
Then, a Hegarty free from his own 65 got lost in the high afternoon sun and was dropped over the line.
When Hegarty added another free from distance, their lead was six; 2-13 to 2-7.
Clare kept on rolling with superb points from Fred Hegarty, Jack Mescal, and Collins while their defence was standing tall; Sheedy blocked a close-in Niland free and Matthew O’Halloran denied Brian Callanan from the rebound.
Niland had been well marshalled by Gunning and James Hegarty but escaped for three points in a row, the latter pair from play.
Gunning intervened again to block Conor Gilligan and found his feet again to follow up with two more defensive dispossessions.
There was still time for substitutes to have their say at either end.
Harry Holmes sent a screamer to the top corner after steering his way around two Clare defenders to bring the gap back to four, 2-18 to 3-11.
But Harry Doherty and Eoin Carey landed points from either wing before Niland picked out Killeen for a final consolation goal.
Scorers for Clare: Marc O’Brien 0-7 (5fs), James Hegarty 1-2 (1-2fs), Ógie Fanning 1-1, Michael Collins 0-3, Seán Arthur 0-2, Jack Mescal, Evan Price, Eoin Begley, Michael Power, Fred Hegarty, Eoin Carey, Harry Doherty 0-1 each.
Scorers for Galway: Aaron Niland 0-8 (6fs), Cullen Killeen 2-0, Jason Rabbitte 1-1, Harry Holmes 1-0, Michael Burke, Michael Fallon 0-1 each.
Clare: Mark Sheedy; Eoghan Gunning, Ronan Keane, Conor Rynne; Matthew O’Halloran, James Hegarty, Jamie Moylan; Jack Mescal, Evan Price; Ronan Kilroy, Michael Collins, Seán Arthur; Ógie Fanning, Marc O’Brien, Eoin Begley.
Subs: Fred Hegarty for Keane (HT inj), Michael Power for Begley (39), Eoin Carey for Gunning (48-50, blood), Harry Doherty for Fanning (51), Carey for Mescal (53), Emmet Mulcahy for Kilroy (60+3).
Galway: Shane Murray; Thomas Blake, Seán Murphy, Gearóid King; Dylan Quirke, Donnacha Campbell, Ed O’Reilly; Michael Burke, Cullen Killeen; Darragh Counihan, Colm Burke, Conor Gilligan; Brian Callanan, Jason Rabbitte, Aaron Niland.
Subs: Michael Fallon for Campbell (HT), Stephen Keane for O’Reilly (40), Harry Holmes for C Burke (40), Eoghan Mulleady for Callanan (58).
Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary
Leinster SHC: Spoils divided at Croke Park
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
Dublin 2-22 Galway 1-25
By Paul Keane at Croke Park
On madcap days like these, hurling doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense.
Galway may have qualified for the Leinster SHC final, just about as everyone expected, but the manner of their progression was anything but routine as Henry Shefflin’s Jekyll and Hyde crew remarkably came from 12 points down to rescue a thrilling Croke Park draw.
Trailing by 10 points at half-time and 12 early in the second-half, it looked as if a surprise win for Dublin was on the cards which, potentially, could have sent Micheal Donoghue’s men through to the June 11 final themselves.
But, a decade after their last provincial triumph, Dublin couldn’t hold on and were reeled in during a frantic final half hour or so as resurgent Galway, inspired by goalscorer Daithi Burke, did just about enough to escape.
Truth be told, Shefflin will be fuming with his team’s first-half performance and the 16 wides they blasted overall but the second-half display at least gives them vital momentum heading into the decider against Kilkenny.
Evan Niland’s 10 points were crucial and it looked, for a matter of seconds at least, as if he may be the matchwinner when the free-taker shot Galway ahead in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
But there was one last kick from a Dublin side that largely collapsed in the second-half in the form of a Donal Burke point from a free which meant the game ended in stalemate.
It all means that Dublin finish third in the table and will advance to an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final.
They will kick themselves because a memorable first-half when almost everything went Dublin’s way looked as if it had laid the platform for a famous win.
Dublin were certainly the dominant team at that stage and their natural pace suited the big pitch.
But they got a big helping hand from a Galway side that made an alarming number of errors.
Leaving players of the calibre of Cian Boland and Mark Grogan in acres of space was a big problem.
And while midfielder Joseph Cooney struck four first-half points, the inside forwards got little joy from any of their individual battles with the Dublin defenders.
Shefflin must have winced too as the westerners essentially handed the two goals to Dublin on a plate.
Cian O’Sullivan’s first in the ninth minute was a bizarre moment as the Dublin attacker shortened the hurl to avoid being hooked but miscued a point attempt that somehow dropped in over the goalkeeper’s ahead.
The second goal was an even greater nightmare from Galway’s perspective. Cooney Cooney, tracking back deep in his own defence and trying to work a ball across his own goal face, failed to pick out a Galway man and Danny Sutcliffe intercepted before blasting from close range to the net.
As if to underline just how tuned in Dublin were, Sutcliffe immediately gestured to his fellow forwards to be alive to the threat of a short puck-out.
That sort of ultra intensity and appetite for destruction was evident throughout the pitch. Free-taker Burke, one of nine different Dublin scorers in the first-half, showed the breadth of his talent with the opening score of the game from close to the left sideline and, later in the half, split the posts with an effort from next to the right sideline.
Everything seemed to be dropping over for the Dubs, even a monster effort from Conor Burke that dropped just a couple of inches beyond the crossbar.
It all added up to a whopping 10-point, 2-16 to 0-12, half-time lead for the hosts who stretched the gap to a dozen points after a bright start to the second-half.
A couple of unlikely Burke wides from frees suggested that nerves were kicking in though.
Sensing opportunity, Galway pushed on to finally give themselves a foothold in the game.
Between the 44th and 52nd minutes they held Dublin scoreless and put 1-4 on the board themselves. Man of the Match Daithi Burke slammed home the goal from close range after a probing run down the left. They should have had a second goal but Conor Cooney’s 47th minute strike from a penalty, awarded following a foul by Conor Burke on sub Brian Concannon, was brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Sean Brennan.
By the hour mark, Galway had whittled Dublin’s lead down to just four points. A sense of inevitability crept across proceedings as Galway slowly but surely picked off the points to eventually wipe out the deficit entirely in the 69th minute.
Niland’s 10th point of the afternoon in the 75th minute nudged them ahead and looked like being the winner but Na Fianna man Burke came to Dublin’s rescue with that late, late leveller.
Scorers for Dublin: Donal Burke 0-10 (0-6f, 0-1 65), Danny Sutcliffe 1-2, Cian O’Sullivan 1-1, Cian Boland 0-3, Eoghan O’Donnell 0-2, Mark Grogan 0-1, Daire Gray 0-1, Conor Donohoe 0-1, Conor Burke 0-1.
Scorers for Galway: Evan Niland 0-10 (0-6f), Joseph Cooney 0-5, Daithi Burke 1-0, Kevin Cooney 0-3, Tom Monaghan 0-3, Ronan Glennon 0-1, Fintan Burke 0-1, Eanna Murphy 0-1 (0-1f), Jason Flynn 0-1.
Dublin: Sean Brennan; John Bellew, Paddy Smyth, Eoghan O’Donnell; Conor Burke, Paddy Doyle, Daire Gray; Mark Grogan, Conor Donohoe; Sean Currie, Chris O’Leary, Cian Boland; Danny Sutcliffe, Cian O’Sullivan, Donal Burke.
Subs: Alex Considine for O’Leary 56, Dara Purcell for O’Sullivan 64, Paul Crummey for Boland 67, James Madden for Donohoe 68, Fergal Whitely for Grogan 74.
Galway: Eanna Murphy; TJ Brennan, Gearoid McInerney, Darren Morrissey; Padraic Mannion, Daithi Burke, Fintan Burke; Joseph Cooney, Ronan Glennon; Conor Cooney, Tom Monaghan, Evan Niland; Kevin Cooney, Conor Whelan, Declan McLoughlin.
Subs: Brian Concannon for McLoughlin h/t, Jack Grealish for Brennan h/t, Sean Linnane for F Burke 43, Jason Flynn for Glennon 49, Liam Collins for C Cooney 64.
Referee: Paud O’Dwyer (Carlow).
Galway Hurlers Secure Impressive Victory Over Antrim in Leinster Hurling Championship
Galway 5-29 Antrim 1-22
Galway manager Henry Shefflin is looking at next weekend’s Leinster SHC clash with Dublin as a knockout game as they both try to get to a Leinster final meeting with his native Kilkenny.
Galway, having earlier defeated Westmeath by 44 points, had 19 points to spare in another facile win at Pearse Stadium where the tempo was little above challenge match level against an understrength Antrim side.
But now Shefflin is relishing the prospect of some serious championship action against a Dublin side managed by Galway’s 2017 All-Ireland-winning boss Micheál Donoghue.
“We would envisage next weekend as a knockout game,” said Shefflin. “We want to qualify for the Leinster final, so do Dublin. It should be set up for a good battle between the sides. That bit of pressure is starting to come.”
The loss of Cathal Mannion to yet another hamstring injury and a knock to the head which ended wing-back Fintan Burke’s afternoon, were the downsides on an afternoon where Galway led by more than double scores, 2-15 to 1-7, at the interval, having played with the breeze.
Conor Whelan got both goals after Antrim got off the mark with a goal from a penalty from Conal Cunning after just over a minute when Galway goalkeeper Eanna Murphy escaped a black card for hauling down Niall McKenna.
Antrim, seeking a first championship win over Galway in 80 years, kept plugging away even if their sights were on next weekend’s possible relegation showdown with Westmeath, but the scores and goals kept flowing after the restart with Kevin Cooney, after a great passing move, Tom Monaghan and Liam Collins rattling the net.
The points kept flowing from both sides without the final issue ever being questioned. Next weekend the business stuff will start for both these sides. Not before time after another painfully one-sided game.
Galway: E Murphy; J Grealish, G McInerney, D Morrissey; P Mannion (0-2), D Burke, F Burke; J Cooney (0-2), C Mannion; R Glennon, E Niland (0-8, 0-3f, 0-2 ‘65), C Cooney (0-7); K Cooney (1-2), C Whelan (2-0), D McLaughlin (0-4). Subs: T Monaghan (1-2) for C Mannion (7), TJ Brennan (0-1) for F Burke (16), A Tuohey (0-1) for D Burke (53), L Collins (1-0) for Whelan (53), J Ryan for J Cooney (63).
Antrim: T Smyth; P Burke (0-3), G Walsh, S Rooney; C Boyd, N O’Connor, R McGarry; K Molloy (0-1), C Cunning (1-3, 1-0pen, 0-2f); E O’Neill (0-1), N McKenna (0-1), D Nugent (0-1); E Og McGarry (0-1), J McNaughton (0-5, 0-2f, 0-1 ‘65), C Johnston (0-3). Subs: J Maskey (0-1) for Nugent (50), D McKiernan (0-2) for Cunning (50), S Walsh for Molloy (53), A Bradley for O’Neill (55-58, blood), C McKiernan for Burke (64).
Referee: M Kennedy (Tipperary).
2023 Electric Ireland GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship Semi-Final
Galway 3-18 Cork 1-10
Report by Stephen Barry at FBD Semple Stadium for GAA.ie
A sixth consecutive double-digits win elevated Galway into an All-Ireland minor final against neighbours Clare, powered by 1-11 from Aaron Niland.
Cork were dogged in their chase and Barry O’Flynn put a first goal past Galway keeper Shane Murray in almost five hours of hurling, but the Westerners were never rattled. They closed it out with a goal from substitute Harry Holmes.
The first half was nip and tuck, with more wides than scores in the first quarter.
Points from Barry Walsh, Jayden Casey, Finn O’Brien, and O’Flynn had Cork a point ahead after 16 minutes, but Galway outscored them by 2-5 to 0-1 from there to the break.
Star man Niland started with two wides from placed balls but he demonstrated impressive resolve to settle himself thereafter. His third pointed free brought them level.
Galway kept patient with their short-passing game and they began to work goal chances from the space created. Niland, with a shortened grip, got a shot off in a phone box, but Fionn Murphy was equal to it.
Then, Jason Rabbitte drifted inside and after initially falling to the ground, he found his feet to collect Seán Murphy’s delivery and produce a dizzying turn to allow the finish.
And after a Ben Walsh pointed response, Niland picked up on a loose ball, stepped away from two pursuers, and rifled a bullet to the far corner.
A Conor Gilligan effort, tiptoeing along the sideline, and two more Niland frees padded their half-time lead out to nine, 2-8 to 0-5.
Kieran ‘Fraggy’ Murphy brought on Seán O’Callaghan and Conor McCarthy (Glen Rovers) at the break and they made an impact. The latter was involved in the breakthrough goal in the 39th minute.
He fed Barry Walsh who charged through two tacklers before offloading to O’Brien. His initial shot was blocked on the line by Thomas Blake but O’Flynn followed in to finish.
Casey opened up Galway with a show of pace but Murray saved, although it was called back for a free. Walsh tapped that over and added another from play. Suddenly, the deficit was three, 2-9 to 1-9.
Galway would outscore them by 1-9 to 0-1 from there to the finish.
A HawkEye point by Colm Burke settled the Tribesmen as they clipped the next 1-4, culminating in a goal from Holmes, created by Ed O’Reilly.
That put 11 in it although Cork kept plugging away, with two close-range Barry Walsh frees saved and Murray denying Brian Lynch too.
Scorers for Galway: Aaron Niland 1-11 (0-10fs), Jason Rabbitte, Harry Holmes 1-1 each; Conor Gilligan 0-2; Cullen Killeen, Colm Burke, Michael Fallon 0-1 each.
Scorers for Cork: Barry O’Flynn 1-2, Barry Walsh 0-5 (3fs) Ben Walsh, Jayden Casey, Finn O’Brien 0-1 each.
Galway: Shane Murray; Thomas Blake, Seán Murphy, Gearóid King; Dylan Quirke, Donnacha Campbell, Ed O’Reilly; Michael Burke, Cullen Killeen; Conor Gilligan, Colm Burke, Jason Rabbitte; Brian Callanan, Darragh Counihan, Aaron Niland.
Subs: Harry Holmes for Callanan (39), Michael Fallon for Campbell (50), Stephen Keane for M Burke (55), Jonah Donnellan for Blake (58), Eoghan Mulleady for Killeen (59).
Cork: Fionn Murphy; Cillian O’Callaghan, Darragh McCarthy, Cárthaigh Cronin; Johnny Galvin, Ben Walsh, David O’Leary; James O’Leary, Barry O’Flynn; Johnny Murphy, Jayden Casey, Zack Biggane; Ronan Dooley, Barry Walsh, Finn O’Brien.
Subs: Seán O’Callaghan for Galvin (h-t), Conor McCarthy (Glen Rovers) for J Murphy (HT), Oier O’Callaghan for J O’Leary (49), Patrick Walsh for Dooley (53), Brian Lynch for O’Flynn (54).
Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Dublin).
Hat-trick from Whelan helps Galway ease past Westmeath
Galway 6-33 Westmeath 0-17
Kilkenny legend Henry Shefflin praised his Galway charges for “going about their business very well” in a 34-point demolition of Westmeath in Mullingar on Saturday evening.
“It was a championship game with two points on offer and it was very important that we prepared properly for it, and the lads produced a professional performance,” the winning manager added. However, in truth, this was a no-contest from start to finish, with Joe Fortune’s depleted side outclassed in virtually every facet of the game.
In this regard, Fortune opined: “The lads who put on Westmeath jerseys are very proud to do so, but it is very difficult when we are missing the calibre of player that we are.”
Their main absentee was All Star nominee and top scorer in recent years, Killian Doyle, while their goal scorer against Dublin a week earlier, Niall Mitchell, was also on the injured list.
Galway settled quickly and they were 0-6 to 0-2 ahead after 13 minutes, the first three points coming from Evan Niland (including two frees). On the quarter-hour mark, Conor Whelan scored his first goal and the floodgates opened.
Six minutes later, Whelan doubled his goal haul, with solid goalkeeper Noel Conaty unlucky not to keep his low shot out. Westmeath responded with what proved to be their only two points from play of the half, courtesy of former Galway player Davy Glennon and Joey Boyle.
Great approach play by Liam Collins and Kevin Cooney teed up Whelan for his third goal in the 25th minute. Four minutes later, Brian Concannon rifled an unstoppable shot to the roof of the Lake County net. Niland was unerring from placed balls and some quality Galway points from play also ensued, leaving them in front by 4-16 to 0-7 at the break.
Hat-trick hero Whelan was replaced at half-time, but the Tribesmen’s fifth goal still arrived less than three minutes after play resumed, Kevin Cooney the man on target on this occasion. Impressive sub Declan McLoughlin raised the winners’ sixth green flag in the 64th minute after producing a great catch. Cormac Boyle was denied by Eanna Murphy in what was the Lake County’s only clear cut goal chance in the 48th minute. Overall, Galway had 13 different scorers in what was a very facile win.
Shefflin was aware that tougher challenges lay ahead when he stated: “We made a couple of changes and that brought energy to the team. It was good to get the goals and to be threatening for goals throughout. We played with a good tempo and a good speed. Competition in the squad is good. To be fair to Westmeath, they have had a couple of difficult weekends and they just don’t have the strength-in-depth that we have when they lose players.”
For his part, Fortune conceded: “I thought we were poor in the first half and stood off Galway. Our second half was a bit better. We are fighting on the flat of our back to stay in the Liam MacCarthy Cup. We have a week’s break now and we need it, psychologically and physically.”
: C Whelan 3-1, E Niland 0-10 (6f, 1‘65’), B Concannon 1-3, D McLoughlin, K Cooney 1-2 each, C Mannion, L Collins 0-4 each, D Burke 0-2, P Mannion, C Fahy, S Linnane, M McManus, J Ryan 0-1 each.
: N O’Brien 0-10 (9f), D Glennon 0-2, R Greville, G Greville, J Boyle, D McNicholas, C Doyle 0-1 each.
: E Murphy; D Morrissey, G McInerney, TJ Brennan; P Mannion, D Burke, F Burke; C Fahy, J Cooney; B Concannon, C Mannion, C Whelan; E Niland, K Cooney, L Collins.
D McLoughlin for Whelan (h-t), S Linnane for J Cooney (43), E Lawless for D Burke (43), J Ryan for Concannon (53), M McManus for Collins (61).
: N Conaty; A Craig, C Shaw, J Bermingham; T Doyle, R Greville, C McCormack; G Greville, C Boyle; K Regan, N O’Brien, J Boyle; D Williams, D Glennon, E Keyes.
S McGovern for Craig (h-t), D McNicholas for Williams (46), C Doyle for Regan (46), D Clinton for C Boyle (55), P Clarke for Keyes (69).
K Jordan (Tipperary).
Leinster SHC: Late Galway rally earns a draw
Leinster Senior Football Championship
Kilkenny 0-28 Galway 1-25
Young substitute Declan McLoughlin landed a splendid late point, deep into stoppage time, to ensure the Leinster SHC spoils were divided.
Galway struck three points in a row in the closing stages to deny an Eoin Cody inspired Kilkenny outfit.
Cody was in brilliant form for the Cats, mining six points from play, causing the visitors’ significant bother throughout.
At the opposite end of the field Brian Concannon was similarly effective for Galway, who pounced for a sixth minute goal.
That was supplied by Concannon, who gathered a Jack Grealish delivery before rattling the Kilkenny net. Galway led 1-3 to 0-4 at that stage with the opening period providing plenty of scores.
John Donnelly and Cody were effective for Derek Lyng’s charges, who subsequently hit the front as the interval approached.
A couple of points, though, from Evan Niland ensured the teams departed deadlocked, 0-16 to 1-13 at the interval.
After the restart Kilkenny enjoyed a productive spell with Billy Ryan, TJ Reid, Cody, and Adrian Mullen clipping neat points for the black and amber side, who led 0-26 to 1-18 with just over 13 minutes remaining.
Galway remained defiant with replacements Jason Flynn, Liam Collins, and Declan McLoughlin all rifling over important scores in the closing stages.
Scorers for Kilkenny: TJ Reid 0-9 (8fs), Eoin Cody 0-6, Darragh Corcoran, Adrian Mullen, John Donnelly, Billy Ryan, and Martin Keoghan 0-2 each, Mikey Butler, Timmy Clifford, and David Blanchfield 0-1 each.
Scorers for Galway: Brian Concannon 1-5, Evan Niland 0-7 (6fs), Conor Whelan 0-2, Padraic Mannion, Daithi Burke, Joseph Cooney, Cianan Fahy, Ronan Glennon, Cathal Mannion, Kevin Cooney, Conor Cooney, Jason Flynn, Liam Collins, and Declan McLoughlin 0-1 each.
Kilkenny: Eoin Murphy; Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor, Tommy Walsh; David Blanchfield, Richie Reid, Padraig Walsh; Darragh Corcoran, Conor Fogarty; Timmy Clifford, Adrian Mullen, John Donnelly; Billy Ryan, TJ Reid, Eoin Cody.
Subs: Martin Keoghan for Clifford (HT), Cian Kenny for P Walsh (46), Alan Murphy for Donnelly (65), Cillian Buckley for Fogarty (70+3).
Galway: Eanna Murphy; Jack Grealish, Gearoid McInerney, TJ Brennan; Padraic Mannion, Daithi Burke, Joseph Cooney; Cianan Fahy, Ronan Glennon; Cathal Mannion, Conor Cooney, Kevin Cooney; Conor Whelan, Brian Concannon, Evan Niland.
Subs: Jason Flynn for C Cooney (58), Fintan Burke for Glennon (60), Liam Collins for Fahy (65), Declan McLoughlin for Whelan (68).
Referee: J Murphy (Limerick).
Leinster SHC: Niland inspires Galway
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
Galway 0-24 Wexford 2-12
By Cian O’Connell at Pearse Stadium
Despite conceding two goals in the first four minutes, Galway still cruised to a convincing win over Wexford in Salthill.
Prompted by the splendid Evan Niland, who rifled over seven sweet points from play, Galway dictated the third quarter to seize control.
Level at the interval, 0-11 to 2-5, Galway dominated after the restart with Niland an influential figure.
Either side of half-time Galway, came from three behind, to score 12 out of 13 points. That was when the damage happened with Wexford unable to recover.
In that spell, though, Wexford did miss an opportunity when trailing by 0-17 to 2-6, but Conor McDonald’s 45th minute penalty was saved by Eanna Murphy.
That was a crucial moment in a game that commenced with Wexford plundering two goals initially.
TJ Brennan thundered forward to mine a point for the locals, but then Darragh Egan’s outfit pounced.
Conor McDonald appeared to get a deft touch following a Liam Óg McGovern delivery in the second minute.
McGovern was causing Galway some bother adding a second goal almost immediately as Wexford edged five ahead.
Under duress Galway did manage to nail five of the next six points as the gap was trimmed significantly, 2-1 to 0-6.
Subsequently couple of frees from Rory O’Connor and two Cathal Dunbar efforts ensured Wexford were 2-5 to 0-8 ahead as the interval approached.
Crucially Henry Shefflin’s team struck three on the spin before the break courtesy of Niland (two frees) and Conor Cooney to level.
With the issue delicately poised, Galway pulled clear impressively when the action recommenced.
Niland was outstanding, while at the opposite end of the field Pádraic Mannion supplied leadership and class defensively.
Conor Whelan, Conor Cooney, and Brian Concannon contributed scores in Galway’s spell of supremacy.
When McDonald’s penalty was thwarted hope drained from Wexford’s challenge. Late on Galway’s conversion rate dipped dramatically illustrated by 0-24 from 41 attempts.
It didn’t matter too much, though, because a victory was secured ahead of next weekend’s intriguing trip to UPMC Nowlan Park.
Scorers for Galway: Evan Niland 0-13 (5fs, 165), Brian Concannon, Conor Whelan, and Conor Cooney 0-2 each, TJ Brennan, Cathal Mannion, Liam Collins, Ronan Glennon, and Kevin Cooney 0-1 each.
Scorers for Wexford: Rory O’Connor 0-5 (5fs), Liam Óg McGovern 1-2, Conor McDonald 1-0, Cathal Dunbar 0-2, Matthew O’Hanlon, Conor Hearne, and Jack O’Connor 0-1 each.
Galway: Eanna Murphy; TJ Brennan, Gearóid McInerney, Jack Grealish; Padraic Mannion, Daithí Burke, Joseph Cooney; Ronan Glennon, Cathal Mannion; Tom Monaghan, Conor Cooney, Brian Concannon; Evan Niland, Conor Whelan, Kevin Cooney.
Subs: Cianan Fahy for Concannon (56-58, temporary), Fintan Burke for J Cooney (58), Cianan Fahy for Glennon (61), Jason Flynn for Concannon (63), Liam Collins for Mannion (68), Darren Morrissey for Brennan (69).
Wexford: James Lawlor; Matthew O’Hanlon, Liam Ryan, Conor Devitt; Simon Donohoe, Conor Foley, Shane Reck; Diarmuid O’Keeffe, Conor Hearne; Oisín Foley, Rory O’Connor, Charlie McGuckin; Liam Óg McGovern, Conor McDonald, Cathal Dunbar.
Subs: Jack O’Connor for O Foley (22-26, temporary), Jack O’Connor for McGuckin (44), Mikie Dwyer for O’Keeffe (47), Richie Lawlor for O Foley (56), Kevin Foley for Hearne (61), Joe O’Connor for C Foley (70).
Referee: Seán Stack (Dublin).
