Hurlers survive late scare

Date Published: 15-Apr-2008

NO major hurling earthquakes occur in early April, but both Galway and Cork gave indications of tremors to come in high summer in a pulsating Allianz NHL semifinal which went right down to the wire at Limerick’s Gaelic Grounds on Sunday.

In some ways, this hugely enjoyable tussle provided a perfect day out for Ger Loughnane and his management team. Their mission was accomplished after a rampant first half performance earned
Galway a place in the final, but Cork gave them enough of a scare to ensure there was no complacency in the dressingroom afterwards.

At half-time, with the Tribesmen leading by 2-15 to 0-7, you would almost have put your house on a Galway win. But it’s not in the nature of a Cork team to give up a battle . . . the Rebels rang the changes, they had the backing of the breeze, and they completely turned this game on its head.

Their substitutions worked a treat, with attacker Patrick Cronin and centre back Ronan Curran turning in rampant second half displays as their side tore into Galway’s 14 point lead. Suddenly, the Galway midfield and half-forward sectors were struggling as Curran,Tom Kenny, John Gardiner, and Sean Og O hAilpin began to dominate.

Instead of running away with the issue, Galway had to hang on grimly for victory and they could thank goalkeeper James Skehill — a virtual spectator in the opening half — for a couple of morale boosting saves.

It was all so different in the first period,when Joe Canning’s senior debut did not let the ……………..