Galway pass crucial late test of nerve

GAELIC GAMES/Galway 4-14 Kilkenny 3-13:WHEN THESE teams meet, there will be goals. Kilkenny hurling is not readily associated with the radical drama of an 18-point swing but this was their form on a bitter afternoon in Salthill yesterday, when they swapped an early blitz of 2-3 for the unusual position of falling into a 4-11 to 2-8 hole, with Galway's fourth major coming from a slightly fortuitous deflection off the helmet of Iarla Tannian after 53 minutes.

Those who speculated that Tipperary’s All-Ireland win last year would instantly change the hurling landscape appeared to have some proof here: a novice Kilkenny backline under pressure, Galway men out-hustling and out-muscling their old nemesis and the stripy men in danger of drifting out of contention. Instead, they clawed their way back into the match and a brilliant TJ Reid point on 61 minutes left just a single goal between the team.

Whatever about Kilkenny, the last 10 minutes of this match seemed to present Galway with their first crucial test of the young season. To lose this match would have been crushing. Instead, they took away the satisfaction of almost having to win it twice.

“It is only March and only two points but psychologically it was very important for us and puts us in with a chance of getting through to the league final,” acknowledged manager John McIntyre.

“The Galway players went through a lot of hardship today – there will be a lot of tired and sore bodies tomorrow. But I said to them after the Cork game I wanted to see Galway players losing a bit of skin, losing a bit of blood. We all know about Galway stickwork and their ability on the ball and all that but you have to back it up with a rawness and a bitterness that maybe Galway teams have been lacking down the years and not just on my watch.

“So psychologically it was a big win and it was important Galway showed a character that some people would have questioned. But nobody is going to lose the run of themselves. They were missing some of their front-line players, their back line was inexperienced, their goalkeeper was inexperienced so we have to be level headed about it and drive on towards the Dublin match.”

Galway had strong performances throughout the field but Tony Óg Regan, David Collins, Cyril Donnellan, Adrian Cullinane and Tannian were outstanding. Tannian’s strength and skill has been on exhibition in prior seasons but in addition to the 2-2 he plundered, his playmaking was outstanding here. He played the final pass for Joe Gantley’s 11th-minute goal – the first score for the home team and was full of menace and purpose after that. Donnellan and Andy Smith worked ferociously and Regan, after a lightning start from Eoin Larkin, anchored the Galway defence. Colm Callanan could do nothing about Kilkenny’s early goals but Galway’s traumatic opening five minutes was another reminder of just how swiftly Kilkenny can punish any lapse in concentration. Kilkenny’s first goal was a beauty, an exercise in smart, simple play which began when Jackie Tyrell won possession and sent Larkin running. Eddie Brennan spotted Michael Fennelly who came tearing in from the left side of the field for a simple finish. Within a minute, Brennan left his calling card: a second-goal sting when opponents are still figuring out how the first one happened. Kilkenny were 2-3 to no score up before the salt air woke the Galway men up.

But from then on, Galway came into a physical and very enjoyable contest and the Cats’ contributions to the scoreboard grew patchy. Michael Fennelly was imperious all afternoon and Tommy Walsh warmed to the demands of the game with an intense second-half performance. Colin Fennelly’s goal revived the match but, like Tannian’s last, it was a bit of a gift from Galway.

Nonetheless, Kilkenny exhibited the remorseless patience and belief and they made the home crowd edgy as the game entered its last five minutes.

“The time of the year it is, it is,” observed Brian Cody after the game. “We have precious little hurling done and we are just taking part in the thing and the fact that we are creating chances and taking some of them is good. If we weren’t building any kind of a lead, it would be more concerning. No, I was happy the way we fought back to be honest about it. The game could have gone very very quickly away from us. The last goal they got put a bit of daylight between us and they were strong. But we fought back well and I was happy with that response.”

Two Richie Hogan frees made it 4-12 to 3-13 with 67 minutes gone and after a Farragher free steadied Galway nerves, Tannian supplied the final pass for Aongus Callanan to point, much to the relief of the perished but happy home support of just under 2,000 in Salthill.

GALWAY: C Callanan; D Collins, C O’Donovan. G O’Halloran; D Barry, T Og Regan, A Cullinane (0-1); G Farragher (0-8, 0-5 frees, 0-1 65), D Burke; E Ryan, A Smith (0-1), C Donnellan (1-0); J Gantley (1-0), I Tannian (2-2), A Callanan (0-2). Subs: D Joyce for A Cullinane (57 mins inj.), J Coen for J Gantley (70 mins), K Kilkenny for E Ryan (71 mins).

KILKENNY: C McGrath; C Fogarty, J Dalton, P Murphy; T Walsh, J Tyrell, JJ Delaney; M Fennelly (1-3), PJ Delaney; C Fennelly (1-0), E Larkin (0-2), TJ Reid (0-2); E Guinan, E Brennan (1-0), R Hogan (0-5, 0-3 frees, 0-1 65). Subs: J Fitzpatrick (0-1) for J Tyrell (41 mins inj), J Mullhall for E Guinan (46 mins).

Referee: C McAlister (Cork).