Wheels come off Galway U21s’ wagon in more ways than one

Tipperary 3-17

Galway 1-17

THE Galway U21 hurlers team bus wasn’t the only thing that broke down along the M18 last Wednesday evening. For against an under-rated Tipperary side at the Gaelic Grounds in this rescheduled All-Ireland semi-final, the wheels also came off the players’ wagon in an unexpected manner.

In an action-packed contest, the drama had begun well before the ball was due to be thrown in with news arriving at the ground that the Galway bus had broken down and the game would be delayed by 15 minutes until 7:45pm.

By 7pm, the young Tribesmen were out on the pitch, having a puckout around, and with the warm-up following, it looked as if order was restored. However, over the next 60 plus minutes, nothing would prove to be further from the truth.

Gone was the razzmatazz and fluidity they had shown in an outstanding Leinster championship campaign, with Galway opening proceedings with a glut of wides and, all of a sudden, you could feel it in the bones that something was amiss.

And so, it was. By half-time, Tony Ward’s charges trailed 2-13 to 0-9 and, more importantly, were a man down after senior player Brian Concannon got his marching orders for a jabbing action. As little as there appeared in it – and there may and may not have been provocation – once referee Sean Cleere’s attention was drawn to it, the outcome was inevitable.

Yet, for all that, coming down the home stretch, the Tribesmen, inspired by player of the match and captain Fintan Burke, had narrowed the gap to four, 1-16 to 2-17, and, with a simple tap over free awarded, looked set to reduce the arrears to a single goal with five of the seven minutes of time added on to be played.

The free had been earned by rampaging substitute Cian Salmon, who was not only fouled by Tipp defender Paddy Cadell but had his leg held as he sought to burst through the Tipperary cover.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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