Galway’s mixed bag is not enough to thwart Tipp men

Tipperary 2-19

Galway 0-20

John McIntyre at Semple Stadium

SOMETIMES the results of matches can boil down to primal instincts and Tipperary were clearly the team which wanted to win this National Hurling League clash more at Semple Stadium last Saturday.

The hosts got the job done in the end, but not before enduring some mid-flight turbulence as Galway admirably fought back from a seven-point first-half deficit to take the lead in the third quarter. The league points were now there for the Tribesmen’s taking.

Unfortunately, Galway failed to drive on with a raft of substitutions, some untimely wides and the late dismissal of reserve Jarlath Mannion for an off-the-ball incident with Cathal Barrett, proving fatal to hopes of extending their winning league run.

Though Galway will naturally be disappointed at the outcome, they will be consoled by pushing Tipperary to the wire, especially as they hardly travelled to Thurles fully loaded, making a whopping nine changes from their previous weekend’s victory over Limerick.

Sure, those alterations included seasonal starting roles for Daithí Burke and Joe Canning, together with restoring experienced performers Aidan Harte, Jason Flynn, Johnny Coen and Conor Cooney to the front line, but there was still a callow look to the team in several positions.

Ironically, two of those players, defenders Darren Morrissey and TJ Brennan, more than held their own and deserve further scrutiny at this level, while Kevin Cooney caught the eye on occasions in attack where he was undaunted in the pursuit of possession.

In fact, it was some of Galway’s more seasoned operators who found the going tougher. Full back Daithí Burke was significantly below the standard we expect from him, showing all the signs of a near six month lay-off from competitive action, while Adrian Tuohey, Joseph Cooney, Flynn and to a lesser extent, Harte, were under pressure as well.

There was also a typical mixed bag from Conor Cooney. He scored a couple of neat points but also had some bad misses in a forward division where Conor Whelan’s goal menace continues to be reduced by his current roving role.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App

Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.

Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite  HERE.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.