Galway back on Form to dismiss Cork

GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Qualifiers Phase III
Galway 2-23 Cork 1-14

Galway reestablished their credentials as genuine All-Ireland contenders with a 12-point defeat of Cork at the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick on Saturday.

Having flopped against Dublin in their Leinster Championship opener, the Tribesmen added another impressive win to last week’s destruction of Clare to lend further credence to the theory that they are peaking at just the right time in the 2011 Championship.

It was a result that will inevitably prompt much reflection on Leeside, given just how comprehensively they were outplayed in this game, but Cork manager Denis Walsh said he hadn’t given any great thought to his future immediately after the game.

“My term is up obviously,” Walsh said. “I didn’t put any great thought into it. If the mood in the county is for to bring in someone that is fairly constructive and move the team on I think we have blooded fellas in there.

“We can’t hide behind saying that there is a team there for the future or anything like that but certainly we have an awful lot of 19-20 year-olds involved and who understand what it required. I think they will be outstanding players but they certainly need another year or two to produce that.”

It was Galway’s sixth win over Cork in the Championship since 1884, but it was surely their most convincing, as John McIntyre’s side outscored the Rebels by 18 points after a nightmare start to the game.

Indeed, Cork were 1-3 to 0-0 up after 10 minutes, Paudie O’Sullivan snatching a goal inside the first 20 seconds before adding three more points to leave Galway in grave danger of crashing out of the Championship.

In that period Galway hit six wides and they did not get off the mark until Joe Gantley scored their opening point after 11 minutes.

But they didn’t look back after that and led by 1-12 to 1-7 at the break despite missing a penalty, Joe Canning seeing his shot saved by a combination of Eoin Cadogan and Donal Óg Cusack.

Galway’s goal came at a crucial stage just before the break, as Damien Hayes hit the back of the net to leave the Tribesmen five points clear.

After striking gold in the opening quarter, Cork failed to supply any decent ball to their inside forward line, O’Sullivan and Patrick Horgan becoming increasingly isolated figures in attack.

Two Cian McCarthy points after the restart reduced the gap to 1-14 to 1-11 but that was as close as the Rebels came.

Ger Farragher and Iarla Tannian swept Galway back into a comfortable lead and they even had a goal disallowed, Canning’s effort scratched because the referee had spotted a foul in the build-up.

The Tribesmen, however, were not to be denied and a minute after coming on as a sub, Cyril Donnellan hit the back of the net with six minutes left on the clock.

Canning brought his total for the evening to 0-10 (0-5f), before Cork substitute Conor Lehane pulled one back for the Rebels.

Galway: J Skehill; F Moore, S Kavanagh, D Collins; D Barry, T Regan, A Cullinane; D Burke (0-2), A Smith (0-02); J Gantley (0-1), G Farragher (0-4), I Tannian (0-1); D Hayes (1-3), J Canning (0-10, 0-4 frees, 0-1 '65), Alan Kerins.

Subs: C Donnellan (1-0) for A Kerins, K Hynes for I Tannion, J Coen for J Gantley, D Joyce for D Collins

Cork: D Cusack; S McDonnell, E Cadogan, B Murphy; J Gardiner, R Curran, S O'Neill; J O'Connor, W Egan; B O'Connor, C McCarthy (0-3), N McCarthy (0-2); L O'Farrell, P O'Sullivan (1-3), P Horgan (0-4, 0-2 frees).

Subs: J Coughlan for L O'Farrell, C Naughton for S O'Neill, L McLoughlin for J O'Connor, B Cooper (0-1) for C McCarthy, C Lehane (0-1) for N McCarthy

Referee: James McGrath (Westmeath