Time and tide waitfor the Tribesmen

Galway 2-20 Tipperary 2-16

The game itself had ended in controversy, Galway scoring an equalising goal three-and-a-half minutes into an injury time that had been announced as "at least two", thus denying a second-half come-back by Tipperary. As the crowds began to file out from the ground, Galway captain Fergal Moore fell in beside Pat Horan, the man with the un-coordinated watch and whistle.

"I asked him is it a replay, and he said it was, so we were convinced that it was over, for today at least, came back to the dressing-room happy to have got out of jail. We would have taken another match, the way we stole in there and got the goal, but once we heard there was extra-time there was no problem, we got ourselves ready."

Extra time. No-one seemed to know about it, no-one in the near 10,000 sun-baked crowd, neither of the teams, not their county board officials, not even the man in the middle.

But there it was in small print, the first inside page in the programme: "extra time must be played in the event of a draw". An announcement, slightly late, was made, the crowds filed back, and we started over.

Just after the start of extra time, Eoin Kelly finally broke inside Cathal Moore and rounded the keeper, a goal looking certain. But in an illustration of the way the Galway defence had supported each other all day, the other corner-back David Collins got back and threw himself in front of the ball, deflecting it out for a 65.

The normally bubbly Kelly was distraught: "We're always complaining about time, but I'm not blaming the ref. I had a good chance just after the start of extra-time, didn't take it. He made a good block, lucky with his leg I suppose, but when you get in there you have to put away these chances."

Tipp had started well, with a well-taken batted goal from wing-forward Pat Buckley inside half-a-minute and two points without reply. Twelve minutes into the game, Galway had yet to score, and there seemed little danger when Tipp wing-back Hugh Moloney who had a super game made a soaring catch and burst out to clear. He dallied however, turned onto his strong side and was hooked, the ball sent back in. Two Tipp defenders collided, and Ger Farragher gratefully accepted the gift, goaling it. That goal woke up the westerners. Sparked by midfielder Kevin Brady, for the remainder of the first half they ruled the roost, leading 1-9 to 1-5 at the break.

The third quarter was even, Kelly's accuracy from placed balls matched by Farragher's, before Tipperary had their second purple patch. The comeback was sparked by a second goal, a superb volley by full-forward John O'Brien and suddenly it was Tipperary tails-up, a three-point lead going into injury-time. Should have been enough; wasn't. Credit to Galway not just for the way they stuck to the task, but for the coolness of young heads in the build-up to the goal.

With what looked like Kelly's insurance point for Tipp still sailing over the bar, Galway keeper Aidan Diviney grabbed another and took a fast puck-out. Wing-backs David Hayes and Adrian Cullinane were both involved in what looked like a ten-man build-up, and without any Tipp man getting a chance to foul a Galway player, the ball reached substitute Evan Hanley at about fifteen yards out. He gave Vinnie Doheny no chance for 2-14 apiece.

The Galway lads exulted, Tipp sank to turf, hands were shaken, jerseys exchanged, when the word began to filter through. Extra-time.

There was only one point in it at half-time of the extra-time, Galway ahead 2-17 to 2-16 but there was only one team in it for the remainder, and the Tribesmen were full value for their eventual four-point win.

Tipp selector Jackie Bolger wasn't a happy man: "We're bitterly disappointed for the players. There was fierce pressure on them today to try and put some pride back into Tipperary hurling, and if nothing else they achieved that. Probably the games in Munster took it out of us a bit, and that showed in extra-time. Why the rush to finish off I don't know, I thought the players deserved better.

"The additional time, we were told at least two minutes, and when it went past three we were convinced the whistle would blow. Eoin Kelly was taken up around our 21-yard line, we thought we'd get a free out for that, but instead they got the point."

Before the game, Galway's youthful manager John Hardiman looked like a member of the panel; afterwards, he looked like the daddy of them all.

"Oh stop! Who'd be a manager, I asked one of the lads with a few minutes to go," he said. "We got out of jail with the goal, but we probably didn't deserve to lose either. We had a lot of wides, which is a worry, but to have the character to keep going when the game seemed to be gone, you'd have to give the lads great credit.

"It was a fantastic move that led to the goal, absolutely brilliant. Everyone is going to make mistakes, the important thing is to keep going, keep going, have no regrets when it's over."

Scorers for Galway: G. Farragher 1-10 (0-8 frees); W. Donnellan 1-0; R. Murray 0-2; D. Greene 0-2; A. Cullinane, B. O'Mahony, K. Brady, D. Hayes, K. Burke, N. Healy, 0-1 each.

Tipperary: E. Kelly 0-10 (0-6 frees, 0-2 65s); J. O'Brien 1-3; P. Buckley 1-0; T. Scroope, F. Devanney, E. Ryan, 0-1 each.

GALWAY: Aidan Diviney; D. Collins, T. Og Regan, F. Moore; D. Hayes, S. Kavanagh, A. Cullinane; K. Brady, B. O'Mahony; R. Murray, P. Garvey, D. Hayes; K. Burke, G. Farragher, D. Greene.

Subs: W. Donnellan (Garvey 42); E. Lynch (Kavanagh 49); N. Healy (Burke 55); S. Kavanagh (Brady 58); K. Brady (O'Mahony 60); B. O'Mahony (Greene 76).

TIPPERARY: V. Doheny; E. Buckley, J. Devane, M. Phelan; M. Maher, D. Fitzgerald, H. Moloney; E. Ryan, J. Caesar; D. Kennedy, F. Devanney, P. Buckley; E. Kelly (c), J. O'Brien, T. Scroope.

Subs: E. Hanley (Buckley 43); A. O'Neill (Kennedy 53); C. O'Mahony (Caesar 57); M. Farrell (Devanney 70); T. Minogue (O'Neill 75).

Referee: P. Horan (Offaly). Was generally unemployed in a sporting contest, but made very few friends in Tipperary with his time-keeping.