Saturday August 13 - Junior A Hurling: Galway v Tipperary

Galway 4-17 Tipperary 0-12

Galway and Tipperary took the field with placings at stake, both teams were already booked into the semi-finals for next weekend.  The Tribesmen ended up with the win a joint top placing in the table with Offaly on the back of three timely goals that pegged Tipp back just as the Premier side were making a run.

Galway Junior Hurlers looked good on Saturday.

Galway got off to the better start and opened with four unanswered points, a couple of John Moylan frees sandwiched between scores from Steven Dineen and Padraig Landers.  Sean Delaney got Tipp off the mark with a Sean Delaney point, but Galway’s half back line did a good job of sweeping up the balls into the Tipp forward line.  Even Tipp marksman Peter O’Keefe was a little out of tune and the first three shots drifted wide far post.  Leading by a score of 0-7 to 0-2 Galway hit with a goal from a very well placed Moylan shot.

Tipp started hitting O’Keefe in the corner with regularity and the speedy corner forward hit four points, forcing Galway to make an adjustment in the back line.  Tommy McGovern at center back for Galway snuffed out several Tipp threats and Galway finished the half with two points to lead 1-10 to 0-6.

Tipperary juniors have their work cut out to beat Galway in next Saturday's semi-final.

Just when Tipperary looked like they were making a comeback, Galway hit with a second goal.  O’Keefe had pointed another four unanswered and the gap between the teams, which had stood at nine points, was down to five.  Cue Moylan, a run at the goal and a shot billowed the opposite side of the net.  Galway back in command.

Tipp had a couple of half chances to pull back a goal, but on each occasion the ball rolled past the wrong side of the post.  Galway lost midfielder Padraig Landers with what looked like a hand injury, and will be hoping for a return for next week’s semi-final.  With his name written on the card to make way for a substitute, JJ Doyle fetched a high ball into the box and booted a fourth Galway goal.  A good win for Galway in advance of next week’s semi-final where the draw pits the two sides against each other again, only this time with a place in the final at stake.   

Galway:  R. Grealish, M. Lennon, J. Loftus, C. Clifford, T. McGovern, J. Kinsella, G. Walsh, P. Landers, B. McGowan, J. Moylan, S. Dinneen, JJ Doyle, E. Daniels. 

Tipp:  M. McGrath, S. Sinnott, D. O’Brien, P. Moriarty, C. Madden, D. O’Donovan, S. Fortune, K. Kavanagh, M. Kavanagh, M. Moriarty, S. Delaney, D. Larkin, P. O’Keefe.

By Rory O'Donnell