The day Galway ripped Tipp apart in a league final romp

IN the second instalment of a five-part series, Patrick Earley reflects on his most memorable Galway senior hurling matches over the last 15 years. This week he puts the spotlight on those big games rated from 12 to 10.

#12

2017 Allianz National Hurling League Final

Galway 3-21

Tipperary 0-14

Sunday, April 23, Gaelic Grounds

This was a significant day in Galway’s all-conquering season where they stamped themselves as genuine championship contenders, dismantling then reigning All-Ireland champions Tipperary by 16 points in a blistering display at the Gaelic Grounds.

It had been an underwhelming campaign for the Tribesmen who failed to gain promotion from Division 1B and looked set to exit the league with a whimper when trailing a second-string Waterford outfit by 10 points at Pearse Stadium in the league quarter-final.

Micheál Donoghue’s side managed to turn that game around though and after comfortably disposing of a poor Limerick challenge in the semi-final, Galway ripped Tipp asunder in the decider.

Had they exited the league to Waterford at that quarter-final stage, it would have been highly improbable that the campaign would have unfolded in the manner it did.

The league decider with Tipp was the stage where Galway produced the kind of physicality that would become a theme in the championship, as the Tribesmen bullied Tipp into submission, limiting the Premier county’s inside forward six to a mere 0-6 from play.

Galway led 0-11 to 0-5 at half-time, with Joe Canning and Conor Whelan in sublime form but it was Jason Flynn who provided the X-Factor in the second half and less than a minute in, he rattled the roof of Darren Gleeson’s net to set Galway on their way.

Flynn’s second goal pushed Galway 2-17 to 0-11 in front after 56 minutes with Cathal Mannion adding further gloss to the scoreline with Galway’s third goal late on.

Galway were simply sublime but Tipperary were wretched in equal measure, much of which was down to the Tribesmen’s greater hunger, physicality and desire.

Galway wanted that piece of silverware more than their opponents for they knew the springboard it could provide for a potentially fruitful summer campaign.

It was the beginning of a run which would lead players and fans to their greatest summer ever, only they didn’t know it yet.

Galway: C Callanan; A Tuohey, Daithí Burke, P Killeen; P Mannion, G McInerney, A Harte (0-2); J Coen (0-1), David Burke (0-1); C Mannion (1-1), J Canning (0-9, 0-3 frees, 0-2 ’65s), J Cooney; J Flynn (2-1), N Burke, C Whelan (0-5). Subs used: J Glynn, J Hanbury, C Donnellan, T Monaghan, S Loftus.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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