Galway take two handy points

Galway 1-21 Waterford 2-12:GALWAY WERE too strong for a very disappointing Waterford at Fraher Field, Dungarvan yesterday. The home team opened impressively when, with the assistance of the breeze, they fired early points from Shane O'Sullivan and Eoin Kelly. But Galway soon settled and points from Niall Healy and Joe Canning had them level by the sixth minute.

In the 26th minute Galway gained a decisive score. Richie Foley failed to control a short puck-out from Clinton Hennessy and the impressive Cyril Donnellan latched on to the ball and raced through the Waterford defence to shoot past Hennessy for a superb goal. Galway went on to lead 1-8 to 0-8 at the break.

In the 60th minute, with Galway leading by 1-16 to 0-10, a shot from substitute Jack Kennedy dropped short and when Colm Callanan and Eugene McEntee went for the ball they only succeeded in knocking it down to Eoin Kelly, who poked it into the net.

The goal lifted Waterford and Seamus Prendergast became the only one of the Deise’s starting forwards to point from play two minutes later. But Galway hit back and Niall Hayes’ point and a trademark Canning sideline soon stretched the lead to 1-18 to 1-10.

Dan Shanahan flicked a long free by Eoin Kelly to the Galway net in the 67th minute to again reduce the deficit to four points, but another Canning point and one from Donnellan quickly snuffed out the challenge.

GALWAY: C Callanan; D Joyce, E McEntee, O Canning; R Murray, M Ryan, F Moore; A Cullinane (0-1), D Tierney (0-2); A Smith (0-2), C Donnellan (1-1), A Callanan (0-3); G Farragher, J Canning (0-8, three frees, three 65s, one sideline cut), N Healy (0-3). Subs: J Gantley for Smith, N Hayes (0-1) for Farragher, E Lynch for Tierney.

WATERFORD: C Hennessy; E Murphy, A Kearney, N Connors; R Foley (0-2), M Walsh, J Murray; S O’Sullivan (0-3), J Nagle; G Hurney, K McGrath, S Prendergast (0-1); S Walsh, E Kelly (1-6, 0-5 frees, one 65), S Molumphy. Subs: J Kennedy for Hurney, T Browne for Murray, D Shanahan (1-0) for Nagle, T Ryan for McGrath.

Referee: D Kirwan (Cork).