Galway turn on the style in crushing limited Cork resistance

GREAT tidings from Thurles, at last.  A venue which has tormented the Tribesmen in big hurling championship matches over the past decade finally brought some joy to Galway when they unexpectedly routed the Rebels in Sunday’s All-Ireland quarter-final

Apart from a shocking wides tally of 23, this was the most complete performance seen from a Galway team in years with not an obvious individual weakness in their ranks as they set up an All-Ireland semi-final clash with the nearly men of Tipperary later this month.

Marginal outsiders heading into fixture and trying to arrest a poor run of results at Semple Stadium and in All-Ireland quarter-finals, Galway emphatically killed two birds with the one stone in a high energy performance which left 14-man Cork reeling, especially in the concluding 15 minutes.

By the end, the proud Munster GAA stronghold was trying to come to terms with a desperate 24 hours – the Cork footballers were also sent crashing from the championship at the same venue the previous evening – as they slumped to a record-equalling 12 points defeat at the hands of rampant opponents.

A measure of Galway’s superiority is reflected in their massive haul of 2-28, but when you also throw in their huge total of wayward shots at the Cork posts, it shows just how much they dominated territory and possession . . . and the tone was set for a terrific display within 52 seconds of the throw in.

Jonathan Glynn has always been a powerful ball-winner in the Galway attack, but he took his game to a new level in Thurles last Sunday as the Ardrahan man’s ability to field puck outs, make the hard yards, together with landing some inspirational individual scores, was arguably the spark which electrified his team-mates.

Glynn had the Galway crowd on their feet within in a minute after a barnstorming run from the left flank which unveiled a previously dormant level of skill – at least, at this level – before expertly finishing to the net from close range after having the temerity to flick the ball over the head of the covering Mark Ellis.

It was a Roy of the Rovers style goal and Glynn never relented in his magnificent efforts until a combination of injury and exhaustion forced his departure late on. The ovation he got from the Galway crowd told its own story as Cork couldn’t handle him at all.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.