Little timber as hurlers stay in winning mood

Galway 3-17Cork 2-13

Frank Farragher at Pearse Stadium

NOT a great day for the hurley makers with too much ash staying intact during a National League tie at Pearse Stadium on Sunday flush with style, but critically deficient in the fire and fury of a typical Galway-Cork showdown.

Circumstances dictated that this last game of the series was immaterial, with final places already booked for both counties on Sunday week next in Thurles – the team selections reflected the cat and mouse approach of both managers.

Needless to say, this match didn’t exactly ignite the imagination of the Galway sporting public with about 800 ‘hard liners’ turning out — all things considered they got reasonable value for money with some crisp stickwork on view but it was a far too mannerly affair.

Galway won’t need any reminding that five minutes into the league final meeting with Cork on summer’s first Sunday, they will have received more ‘plant’ from Cork than they did during the entire course of this encounter. This would have been a ‘grand game’ to bring a bus load of US tourists to admire the finely honed skills of the natives in a polite setting.

The tie though has to be judged on its own merits and from a positive point of view, it did indicate that Galway do possess a decent depth of hurling talent and that there is a hungry feeling running through the squad.

Cork though led for most of the first half and too often, from a Galway point of view, Denis Walsh’s side had multiple passing options available to them when in possession — the losers were full value for their 1-8 interval total and some sloppy finishing cost them a few more scores.

A Niall Healy close range goal in the 12th minute after good work by Niall Hayes brought Galway parity for the only time in the half at 1-1 to 0-4, but that equality was short-lived.

Just over a minute later, when a Ben O’Connor point effort came back off the post, Luke O’Farrell beat Pat Holland to the rebound to give James Skehill no chance from close range.

Galway though put in a strong second quarter with Ollie Canning as neat as a pin in defence, while at the other end Niall Healy hit the target with regularity, even if an early penalty flew over, rather than under, the crossbar.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.