An epic climax but Galway need to push on in replay

Inside Track with John McIntyre

Two things happened in Tullamore on Sunday which shook the hurling world and are probably without precedent – Kilkenny losing a ten point lead in the same number of minutes and Galway defying all the neat stereotyping about them in recovering from a seemingly hopeless position to force an unlikely Leinster semi-final replay.

Of course, these two unexpected events were inter-linked as a fluctuating match which had trundled along with no great spark and little separating the teams for over 50 minutes suddenly exploded as, initially, Kilkenny surged clear with an unanswered 1-8 only to be sucker-punched by a magnificent Galway comeback which saw the team rediscover its soul just in time against all the odds.

We can never remember Kilkenny losing a ten point advantage down the home stretch or, for that matter, Galway pulling a big game out of the fire in such sensational circumstances. It made for a terrific climax in Tullamore and you’d imagine that Galway, who finished with a more potent team on the field than the one which started, will be in much better heart for the replay at the same venue on Saturday evening.

Their heroic comeback certainly goes against the grain for Galway hurling teams and when Kilkenny cut the Tribesmen defence open to establish an apparently match-winning lead of 3-20 to 2-13 after 62 minutes, the prospect of a demoralising trimming for Anthony Cunningham’s squad was on the cards. It was impossible to see a way back for them, but Galway somehow summoned a recovery from nowhere, shooting 3-3 to two points in reply over the concluding ten minutes.

It represented a major psychological achievement for Galway and they now have no excuses for not driving on from here. The team has been largely in a rut since the drawn All-Ireland final in 2012, but Sunday’s extraordinary finale will have removed that protracted hangover in one swoop. Galway found inspiration when least expected with those three late goals from Conor Cooney (2) and Joe Canning (penalty) pulling the rug from under Kilkenny’s feet in a truly unprecedented manner.

The Noresiders dressing room after the game must have been a tormented place as players and mentors struggled to take in what had just happened. Brian Cody probably blew a gasket as something like this has never happened on his long watch before. For those of us who thought Kilkenny have been declining over the past 12 months, Sunday’s late capitulation confirms it. They are still a formidable team, but the aura of invincibility is gone, while the lack of pace in their rearguard was again eventually exposed.

Obviously, they will still take beating in the replay, but the momentum is now firmly with Galway. They will have returned to training on Tuesday night with a pep in their step and should be revelling in the challenges which the teams’ second collision in a week will bring. In a nutshell, Galway have turned a potentially heavy defeat into a great opportunity to finally build on their championship exploits of two years ago.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.