GAA Hurling All Ireland Minor Championship Semi-Final – Tipperary 2-16 Galway 1-14

Electric Ireland GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Semi-final: Tipperary 2-16 Galway 1-14

Report from the GAA.ie web site

Tipperary will play Dublin in the All-Ireland minor final after they beat Galway by five points at Croke Park on Sunday. They responded from an early Galway goal after just two minutes to take control of the match and lead by a point at the break. Then, Mark McCarthy’s goal early in the second half proved to be a decisive score, as it moved Tipperary into a four-point lead, which Galway weren’t able to overturn from there until the finish.

Galway’s cause was not helped by the dismissal of full-back Paul Killeen with 15 minutes to go when Tipperary already led by three, and the Premier County cruised to victory from there. Tipperary led by a point at the break after an exciting and very keenly contested first half. Galway raced into a 1-1 to 0-0 lead after just three minutes, with Jason Flynn lashing in their goal after a fine assist from Brian Molloy.

However Tipp came roaring back, and points from Stephen Cahill and Barry Heffernan were quickly followed by a goal from Cahill, which came about after a long ball was poorly dealt with by the Galway defence. John McGrath then edged Tipperary two clear, and suddenly Tipp were in charge having been four points behind after just a few minutes. The sides traded scores for the remainder of the half, McGrath on form from set pieces for Tipp and Darragh Dolan and Ronan O’Meara firing over classy scores for Galway, but Tipp held the narrow advantage going in. The impressive Dolan levelled for Galway shortly after the break with a fine effort from play, his third, and for a while the game remained extremely tight, both sides trading scores freely.

However, McCarthy’s superb goal, a powerful finish from the left, changed the complexion of the game, and when a Jack Shelly point followed it seconds later, Tipperary led by five. Galway responded well, and points from Flynn, Cathal Mannion and Dolan put just two in it again. The tide then turned irrevocably towards Tipperary, however. First, wing-back Tom Fox sent over a superb score to restore a three point lead, and then Galway captain Killeen picked up a second yellow and was sent off. Galway had no way back then, and Tipperary, led by the impressive finishing skills of McGrath, cruised to victory.

Scorers for Tipperary: J McGrath 0-7 (3f, 2 ’65), S Cahill 1-2, M McCarthy 1-1, J Shelly 0-2, S Maher 0-2, B Heffernan 0-1, T Fox 0-1

Scorers for Galway: J Flynn 1-1, B Molloy 0-4 (3f), D Dolan 0-4, R O’Meara 0-3, C Mannion 0-1, A Higgins 0-1

Tipperary: P Maher; R Maher, M Breen, J Peters; T Fox, T Hamill, B Heffernan; B Maher, J McGrath; T Gallagher, J Shelly, S O’Brien; S Cahill, K Slattery, M McCarthy.

Subs: S Ryan for K Slattery (HT), S Maher for S O’Brien (43), C Lanigan for J Shelly (59).

Galway: M Ó Conghaile; D O’Donoghue, P Killeen, É Burke; S Caulfield, S Sweeney, B Keane; S Collins, C Mannion; B Murtagh, D Dolan, J Flynn; R O’Meara, M Mullins, B Molloy.

Subs: A Morrissey for B Murtagh (HT), P English for S Collins (40), O Treacy for M Mullins (48), S Linnane for A Morrissey (57), A Higgins for B Molloy (59).