Makeshift Galway are out of their depth

Date Published: 17-Aug-2010

Kilkenny 0-24 Galway 0-10

Niall Canavan

in Tullamore

KILKENNY easily qualified for the All-Ireland intermediate hurling final at Tullamore on Saturday following a comprehensive victory over Galway.

In fairness, Galway tried hard, particularly in the opening half, yet by half time the writing was on the wall for Noel Turley’s charges as Kilkenny lead by 0-10 to 0-6. The winners completely dominated the second half curtailing Galway to a paltry four points while adding 14 scores to their own tally with Eoin Guinan and Bill Beckett prominent in attack for Kilkenny.

There is considerable apathy to this grade of inter county hurling in Galway with hurling board officials contemplating the disbandment of this team earlier this year. Their case was strengthened further on Saturday as this was Galway’s fifth semi-final defeat on the bounce at this level and until Galway’s best 15 eligible hurlers for this side make themselves available, the Tribesmen are always going to struggle.

That is not being disrespectful to those who played last weekend and indeed they should be commended for honouring the tradition that is the maroon jersey. They gave of their best but Kilkenny always held the edge and there was an air of inevitability about the result once the Cats went in front, for the first time, after 19 minutes.

Prior to this Galway gave as good as they got with team captain Brian Murphy playing a captain’s part. The Turloughmore man scored three early frees for Galway while Gearoid McInerney had opened the scoring with a good point inside 30 seconds.

Eoin Guinan was Kilkenny’s top marksman contributing his side’s opening four points, three of which came from play. Indeed Guinan’s first score could well have been a goal were it not for a good deflected save by Galway goalkeeper Nigel Murray. By half time Kilkenny had stretched four points in front with Guinan, Beckett and senior panelist Paddy Hogan all on target.