Senior Hurling: Galway Too Good for Tom's

Galway 0-21 Fr. Tom Burke’s 2-9

It seems like 20 points is the threshold to get a result in the senior hurling championship this year.  Galway scored 21 and Tom’s managed 15, though six of those came in the final five minutes when they were down by 12.  Galway dominated the contest from start to finish.  John Moylan put in his best 60 minutes of 2012, as did Steven Nolan at center back, while in the middle of the field, Seamus Corry did well.  Tom’s on the other hand struggled to get to grips with the game, and did not see much to encourage their prospects for this year’s championship.

Tom's Shane Howley and Galway's
Barry McNamara up for the ball.

Galway had the advantage for most of the first half, Nolan, Corry, and Barry McNamara had control around the middle of the field.  Eoin Guinan and Corry accounted for seven of Galway’s first eight points, and one stage the tribesmen led by six.  Tom’s got themselves into the game as the half wore on.  David O’Mahoney got the scoreboard ticking over in the Tom’s column with a couple of frees and a point from play, while Tom Carroll and Eanna Murphy added one each.  There was a scary moment from a Galway point of view just before half time as the keeper and full backs struggled to clear the ball, but there was no Tom’s player on hand to deliver the decisive strike for a goal.  Nolan and Guinan pointed for Galway towards the end of half, with the tribesmen ahead by a score of 0-12 to 0-7.

Tom's Niall O'Muineachan

The second half continued as the first ended.  Galway added four more points to their lead before Tom’s tallied their first, a free from O’Mahoney.  Gunian, Corry,and Moylan were the Galway scorers.  With Galway’s half back line on top Tom’s had hardly a look-in.  The man from Birr, County Offaly, Brian Watkins, had another good outing on the wing.  The tribesmen built the lead to twelve points and looked comfortable in dealing with any ball sent into their own half of the field.  Tom’s made a late flurry, having decided to start going for goal with 10 minutes to go, two majors came late in the game from O’Mahoney, the first similar to the second.  Both shots came from the right side and ended in the far corner of the net.  A third goal in injury time would certainly have made it interesting, but there was not enough time for that.  Galway get their first win of the season, while Tom’s will be looking for a little more spark in their next outing against Wexford two weeks from now.

Referee:  Jason Long (Corcaigh)

Man of the Match:  Steven Nolan (Galway).

Galway:  M. Mulrooney, C. Kelly, D. Shaw, J. Kinsella, S. Nolan, B. Watkins, B. McNamara, S. Corry, E. Guinan, J. Moylan, T. Bulger, M. Brooks, K. Canty.  Tom’s:  F. hynes, N. O’Muineachan, D. Moore, E. Cummins, S. Higgins, B. Murphy, P. McGrath, E. Murphy, S. Howley, T. Carroll, D. O’Mahoney, C. Moore, C. Joyce-Power.

By Rory O'Donnell