Grand slam on cards after Galway stroll

Galway 1-19 Cork 1-13

The victory is all the more meritorious in that it was Galway’s first outing in the championship while Cork were playing their fourth match, a statistic that worried their coach Vincent Mullen in the lead-up to the game: “I knew we had a very good team but when they weren’t tested, there was always the concern that we weren’t as good as we looked on paper”, said Mullen.

“After losing to Kilkenny in Portlaoise last year we were hugely disappointed and vowed to at least get back to the final again, and have achieved that without playing as well as we can.

“It was our first competitive match in the championship and there is a lot more in our lads. With the minors, intermediates and seniors already through to All-Ireland finals we didn’t want to be the team to let the county down.

Galway simply brushed Cork aside in most sectors of the field. Physically strong, their hurling was superb, their ball-handling equally so and had they been a little steadier in front of goal, they would have won the game with a lot more to spare.

Their defence completely blotted out the Cork attack with Kevin Briscoe, Ger Mahon and Barry Cullinane particularly impressive. Brendan Lucas and David Collins gave them a grip at midfield while in attack, Cork had no answer to the aerial dominance of Joe Gantley, the pace and skill of Aongus Callanan, and Niall Healy.

Cork were hugely disappointing. They lacked the necessary steel to stand up to Galway, could never cope with the aerial dominance of their opponents, and failed miserably to make any worthwhile impression in the attack.

Only full back Darragh McSweeney - he caught a tartar in Niall Healy - Kevin Hartnett and Michael Cussen, who was the one player who could win possession from the air but got no support, can look back on the game with any satisfaction.

There was nothing to choose between the sides in the opening quarter during which they were level three times. Cork’s Diarmuid Dorris threatened a goal in that period but great defending denied him and for the remainder of the half Galway went on a scoring spree, registering 1-4 without reply, to lead comfortably at the break, 1-10 to 0-6.

Cork were almost totally dependent on the free-taking of Maurice O’Sullivan for scores while at the other end, Kerril Wade, Niall Healy, Joe Gantley and Aongus Callanan showed their class with a succession of points and by the end of the third quarter, the Connacht side led by double scores, 1-17 to 0-10.

Cork were in dire need of a goal if they were to have any chance. Michael Cussen did threaten winning a lot of ball from the air, but his finish left him down and when the goal finally did come, courtesy of Cussen, it was far too late.

Scorers: Galway: K. Wade 0-7 (0-5 frees); A. Callanan 1-2; N. Healy 0-4; J. Gantley 0-3; K. Burke 0-2; G. Mahon (free) 0-1. Cork: M. Cussen 1-1; M. O’Sullivan 0-4 (0-3 free); M. Naughton 0-3 (frees); K. Canty 0-2; S. O’Sullivan B. Barry, C. O’Connor 0-1 each.

GALWAY: A. Ryan; P. Flynn, A. Gaynor, K. Briscoe; G. Mahon, B. Cullinane, A. Garvey; B. Lucas, D. Collins, J. Gantley, A. Callanan, E. Ryan; K. Burke, N. Healy, K. Wade. Subs. D. Kelly for Gaynor; F. Coone for Ryan.

CORK: A. Nash; P. Fitzgerald, D. McSweeney, E. O’Sullivan; S. O’Neill, K. Hartnett, S. Cronin; B. Barry, E. Cadogan; K. Canty, M. Naughton, S. O’Sullivan; M. O’Sullivan, M. Cussen, D. Dorris. Subs. C. O’Connor for Cadogan; PJ Copse for Cronin; D. Cronin for S. O’Sullivan.

Referee: B. Gavin (Offaly).