Galway Boston Northeast Senior Hurling Champions

Galway 4-23 Fr. Tom Burke’s 3-13

The ball is there for Cathrach Daly or John Moylan.

Galway secured the title of Boston Northeast senior hurling champions on a brutally hot Sunday afternoon at the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton.   Galway got off to a flying start, but Tom’s reined their opponents in for the middle 30 minutes of the game, however the Galway half back line pretty much had the measure of the Tom’s forwards in the deciding period and with 3 second half goals the Tribesmen ran out comfortable winners in the end.

At the end of the first 30 minutes Galway held a 3 point lead, which would have left Fr. Tom’s feeling pretty good because the men in maroon had opened up a nine point lead inside the first 15 minutes. Within 10 minutes Galway held a 1-4 to 0-1 lead and were dominating all areas of the field.  Tom’s were forced into fouling in danger areas, and when you opponent has a free taker of the caliber of Jason Gillane, most areas are dangerous in which to concede a free.  Warnings were issued to a couple of the Tom’s players by referee Maurice Condon.  Gillane converted 3 frees and Barry McDonagh put one over from the wing before Joe Fogerty got Tom’s off the mark with a point.  Billy Power at corner forward had the ball in the net soon afterwards following a loose pass out of the Tom’s defence.  Power pounced and there was no stopping the Waterford man from putting the ball into the far corner.   Additional points came from Michael Kiely, Gillane and McDonagh before Tom’s got their second score of the game to reduce the gap to 8 points.

Tom’s got a foothold in the game thereafter and pointed two more to start feeling better about themselves.  Mark McCarthy, Fogerty, Liam Moore and Cathrach Daly were on the mark.  After the water break Tom’s got the goal back though a penalty.  Aaron Dunphy was fouled as he bore down on goal and the penalty awarded without hesitation.  Fogerty buried the shot and there was just 2 points in it.  The rest of the half played out even stevens, though Tom’s did need a goal from Ronan Fox to keep touch.  A free from the half back line dropped into the Galway box and Fox got the touch to level the scores at 1-9 to 2-6.  Galway ended the half 3 points to the better with scores from John Moylan, Gillane and McDonagh, while Fogerty frees kept Tom’s within 3 points at the break.  It could have been a 6 point advantage for the Tribesmen as Michael Kiely hit the post after being played in by John Moylan.  1-14 to 2-8 at the half in Galway’s favor.

The second half say Galway open up the lead with points from Gillane and John Moylan as Tom’s were slow out of the blocks again.  Another Tom’s goal reduced the deficit as a mis-hit shot from Dunphy ended up in the hands of Fogerty alone in front of goal, and Fogerty does not miss chances like that.  Dunphy then pointed and there was just 2 points in it.  Galway dominated the last third of the game and their half back line was all over anything that dropped into the area of the field.  Liam Savage, Gavin Fives and Danny Burke time and again came out with the ball to send it into the danger areas.  Before the second half water break Galway had netted twice.  The first was a goal from Billy Power who did not give up on what looked to be a lost cause and kept the ball in play to net from a difficult angle.  Moylan got the second after being left in a man on man situation, Moylan turned his marker and finished well with just the keeper to beat.

The Victorious Galway Senior Hurlers

Galway were 11 up heading into the final 15 minutes and truth be told, it was looking like Tom’s would need a miracle to turn the tables.  The teams canceled each other out in the run in as Galway continued to smother the Tom’s forwards, and a late goal put the icing on the cake.  Back to back titles for Galway who will represent the division at the USGAA finals in Chicago the weekend of August 20.

Tom’s:  Kevin Flynn, Conor Murphy, Mark McCarthy, Jack Martin, Cathrach Daly, Niall Murphy, Cian Wadding, Fergus Byrne, Liam Moore, Cathal Hardiman, Joe Fogerty, Aaron Dunphy, Ronan Fox.  Galway:  John Coleman, Daniel Loftus, Tom Murray, Danny Burke, Liam Savage, Gavin Fives, Eoin Morrissey, Michael Moylan, Barry McDonagh, John Moylan, Jason Gillane, Michael Kiely, Billy Power.

By Rory O'Donnell