GAA: All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Quarter Final
Galway 1-20
Tipperary1-18
Report: Shane Brophy at TUS Gaelic Grounds, Limerick
MATCH DIGEST
Player of the Match: Daithi Burke (Galway)
SCORERS – Galway: Evan Niland 0-8 (7 frees); Conor Whelan 1-4; Tom Monaghan 0-3; Cianan Fahy 0-2; Daithi Burke, Joseph Cooney, Ronan Glennon 0-1 each.
Tipperary: Jason Forde 0-10 (8 frees); John McGrath 1-0; Alan Tynan, Seamus Kennedy 0-2 each; Michael Breen, Ronan Maher, Gearoid O’Connor, Johnny Ryan 0-1 each.
Tipperary exited the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship after a bitterly disappointing performance saw them lose to Galway in the quarter final on Saturday.
Galway were deserving winners and but for the heroics from Rhys Shelly in the Tipp goal they could have won by more, without being convincing themselves as Liam Cahill’s charges struggled to get to the pitch of the game right from the off.
The first half was largely forgettable, fitting the gloomy evening as neither side generated the intensity expected. Galway brought a little more with the game played on their terms, despite Jason Forde firing Tipp into an early lead.
From there to half time, Tipp never led after Evan Niland equalised, one of five frees in the half as Tipp struggled to win possession in attack with full back Michael Breen among the scorers as the sides went point for point up to the 23rd minute when they were level at 0-6 apiece.
Both sides hit some poor wides, but Galway got some traction on 24 minutes when a poor Michael Breen pass to Ronan Maher allowed Kevin Cooney in, but Rhys Shelly saved well.
Shelly was again alert to deny Conor Whelan as the Tipp defence came under pressure with Whelan coming more into the game with two points from play before he had a glorious chance of a goal on 32nd minute but Shelly somehow got a boot to the shot which looped over the bar as Galway opened a four point lead, but Jason Forde did manage a late free as Tipp were fortunate to be within three points at half time.
Tipp’s job became harder 23 seconds into the second half when Conor Whelan benefitted from a Cathal Barrett slip to finally beat Shelly.
Tipp responded positively with quick points from sub Gearoid O’Connor and Alan Tynan but my the 52nd minute they had mustered just ten minutes with Galway stretching out to an eight point lead.
Without getting into top gear, Tipp ate into the lead with Ronan Maher, Jason Forde (2), and sub Johnny Ryan giving them some renewed hope, helped by Galway’s wastefulness, shooting eighteen wides as well.
Tipp got a lifeline on 62 minutes when John McGrath blasted a loose ball in the square to the net to bring his side back within one point but crucially, failed to build on it with Galway getting the next score from sub Tom Monaghan whose three points from play were crucial.
Tipp got within one on two more occasions but were unable to get the leveller as Galway won key ball when needed with Niland and Monaghan stretching their lead to three in added time while Rhys Shelly made a superb save to deny Cianan Fahy.
After a late Forde free, Tipp had one final play to try and force a winning goal, but Galway saw out the danger as the Premier County exit the championship in a disappointing fashion in a game where they never came close to their best, and still only lost narrowly.
TEAMS – Galway: Eanna Murphy; Jack Grealish, Gearoid McInerney, Darren Morrissey; Sean Linnane, Daithi Burke (Capt), Padraic Mannion; Joseph Cooney, Ronan Glennon; Brian Concannon, Cianan Fahy, Cathal Mannion; Evan Niland, Kevin Cooney, Conor Whelan.
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 (Moycarkey/Borris); Cathal Barrett (Holycross/Ballycahill), Michael Breen (Ballina), Eoghan Connolly (Cashel King Cormacs); Bryan O’Mara (Holycross/Ballycahill), Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields), Dan McCormack (Borris-Ileigh); Conor Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields), Alan Tynan (Roscrea); Seamus Kennedy (St Mary’s), Jason Forde (Silvermines), Noel McGrath (Loughmore/Castleiney, Capt); Jake Morris (Nenagh Eire Og), Seamus Callanan (Drom & Inch), Mark Kehoe (Kilsheelan/Kilcash).
Subs: Gearoid O’Connor (Moyne-Templetuohy) for Kehoe (HT); Conor Bowe (Moyne-Templetuohy) for Callanan (HT); Johnny Ryan (Arravale Rovers) for Stakelum (50); John McGrath (Loughmore/Castleiney) for McGrath (53); Jack Ryan (Clonoulty/Rossmore) for Tynan (70+1).
Referee: John Keenan (Wicklow)
Attendance: 34,180.