28-5-18 HURLING
LEINSTER HURLING
CHAMPIONSHIP
GALWAY 1.22 2.11
KILKENNY
COURAGEOUS CANNIG
They would have been much further adrift but staged a rally
before the interval to cut the gap, having been eight points adrift.
The sides were deadlocked three times in the opening 20
minutes but then Galway pulled away.
Cathal Mannion edged Galway 0-05 to 0-04 in front after 23
minutes and they built on that score with Brian Concannon and two efforts from
Joe Canning to lead by double scores seven minutes from the break.
Then the always-threatening Conor Whelan was fouled by Paddy
Deegan and Canning stepped forward to blast the penalty low into the left
corner.
Cathal Mannion followed that up with his second point to
lead by 1-09 to 0-04 approching the break.
But then Galway full-back Daithi Burke fouled Luke Scanlon
after the James Stephens corner-forward soloed through and TJ Reid stepped
forward to dispatch the penalty to the net.
Kilkenny pushed on and with Walter Walsh making an impact
after moving out the field and he cut the gap to 1-09 to 1-05 at the break with
an inspirational point before the break.
Remarkably, Kilkenny’s only score in the final quarter came
when Walter Walsh blasted home a late goal but by then Galway were out of sight
as they backed up their opening round win over Offaly with a clear statement
that they are not going to easily surrender their crown.
MY
OPINION
This result shows how important
home advantage can be especially for a team like Galway having to travel such
distances. Kilkenny should have put up more of a fight and does make you wonder
if they are All Ireland contenders.
OFFALY 2.09 WEXFORD
5.24
CHERPY CHIN
Conor McDonald showed superb reflexes and instinct to pounce
on a loose ball off the post and sweep home the first goal with just three
minutes on the clock, and by the time ten more minutes had expired, Wexford had
put clear daylight between the sides. Paul Morris, Jack O’Connor and McDonald
picked off superb points from tricky angles before a glorious sequence of play
saw Simon Donohoe set up Aidan Nolan for the second Wexford goal.
2-5 to 0-2 became 2-10 to 0-5 by the half hour mark, as
Wexford continued to break tackles, win frees and move the ball through the
lines with intelligence and consideration.
Two penalties in the space of two minutes – both of which
saw Sean Gardiner pick up yellow cards – helped Wexford into a 3-12 to 0-6
interval lead. Eoghan Cahill, who had another brilliant game despite being
peppered with shots, repelled Aidan Nolan on the first attempt but he could do
little to stop Mark Fanning’s top corner bullet with the second.
Lee Chin and Jack O’Connor made it five Wexford goalscorers
on the night in the third quarter and while Oisín Kelly produced a wonderful
finish to give Offaly fans something to cheer about, he soon joined Gardiner on
the bench after getting a straight red card for an incident involved Wexford
wing back Paudie Foley.
MY
OPINION
This is a very comfortable win
but with wins like this you know that you are one of the big guns from the
championship but Offaly are a team that seem to be going backwards in time and
you would wonder whether finishing in this competition helps them or not.
Offaly should be relegated and a smaller team should get the chance to come up.
MUNSTER HURLING
CLAIRE 2.27 2.18
WATERFORD
DANGEROUS DUGGAN
With the wind at their backs, Waterford did settle into
their stride thanks in the main to a ninth minute goal from Maurice Shanahan
who was perfectly positioned to fire home a rebound after Tom Devine's initial
shot was saved by goalkeeper Donal Tuohy at 1-4 to 0-3.
However, the loss of de Burca allied to a 17th minute John
Conlon-earned penalty saw the momentum shifted irrevocably in Clare's favour
thereafter as Peter Duggan stepped up to rifle to the top left corner of the
net.
Suddenly, Clare sparked into life, epitomised by a Shane
O'Donnell dispossessing shoulder on Barry Coughlan that resulted in a point for
the Éire Óg forward and lifted the crowd substantially. Two minutes later, John
Conlon bulldozed his way past two defenders for Clare's second goal while a
further four point rally without reply, three from Duggan, put the hosts 2-10
to 1-06 clear by the 32nd minute.
A 42nd minute goal from substitute Tommy Ryan did wipe out
Clare's early blitz from Kelly (2) and Conlon but following the dismissal of
captain Kevin Moran, it would prove merely a damage limitation exercise from
Derek McGrath's side despite a strong showing from Stephen Bennett
MY
OPINION
Clare have had control of this
exciting match for long parts of it and I think that they might be a side to
wa5tch out for. Waterford must be disappointed in the way that the game flowed
as they had the scores to win as lot of matches.
TIPARARY 2.20 1.23 CORK
MAGIC MC GRATH
Tipperary had their chances to get off the mark early on but
were guilty of some wayward shooting, but at the other end Cork had no such
issues. A third Harnedy point was followed by two Pat Horgan frees, while
Kearney’s second had Cork seven points clear after 14 minutes.
Up until that point Tipperary were very disappointing, but
it looked as if they had been thrown a lifeline when Jason Forde side-stepped
Damien Cahalane and fired a brilliant shot to the net. The goal was immediately
followed by a Brendan Maher point to close the gap to three points, while Noel
McGrath and Patrick Bonner Maher also scored to inject real hope into the
Tipperary charge.
But as quickly as their challenged gained momentum it seeped
away again. Cork were particularly dominant in the half-back line, and
Tipperary’s decision to bombard it with long balls was a perplexing one.
Two points from Shane Kingston either side of a third from
Harnedy put Cork well in control again, but after Kearney and Bill Copper hit
the target Cork were back into a seven-point lead.
Noel McGrath ended an 11-minute spell without a score for
Tipp, but when Kingston somehow found the Tipp net from a very tight angle,
Cork were good value for their 1-15 to 1-6 interval lead.
The too-and-fro nature of this game continued after the
break and the first five poitns of the second period went to Tipperary, with
Jason Forde and John McGrath in the thick of the scoring for the Premier
county.
Cork were relieved to see Horgan and Conor Lehane hit back,
but after a brief exchange of scores Forde sent Noel McGrath in for Tipp’s
second goal, which closed the deficit to three points.
After Bill Cooper’s second, Forde, John O’Dwyer and John
McGrath kept the heat on Cork with three in a row, while John McGrath’s fourth
score levelled matters with ten to go.
Cork hit poor wides as Harnedy and Brian Lawton missed the
target, but five minutes from time Harnedy pointed for the lead only for Tipp
to earn a draw at the death.
MY
OPINION
I think that this was a good
match for hurling as is was a close battle that either team could have won.
Draws tell you that you are still in with a shot of getting out of the group
but it is a bit of a sicker for Tip.
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