Tribesmen prepare for a double takeaway
Hurling manager Conor Hayes - a winning captain in 1987 and 1989 - had to make a quick calculation to ensure they had bettered Clare’s scoring difference (by two points) as their second-half recovery shattered Limerick.
And while John O’Mahony could confidently anticipate that his team would finally get the better of holders Tyrone after opening up a two-point gap near the end, it needed the final whistle to confirm their appearance.
The footballers contested their last final in 2001, when they surprisingly lost by a point to Mayo at Croke Park. Their meeting with Kerry there next Sunday will be the first league final meeting between the two since 1984 (in Limerick), when Kerry won 1-11 to 0-11, largely as a result of a Michael Sheehy goal late in the first-half.
The Galway manager at the time was former Roscommon star Tony O’Regan and one of his selectors was RTÉ commentator Jim Carney.
Included in the half-forward line were current selector Stephen Joyce and Gay McManus, who has managed the Dublin-based players since O’Mahony came on board.
Incidentally, O’Regan’s son, Tony Óg, is a member of the Galway hurling team. They were winners in their last appearance in the final, four years ago, defeating Tipperary.
Conor Hayes expressed delight at making it to the final, saying that it confirmed progress and served as “a great confidence boost”.
He was particularly satisfied with the way they turned the game around in the second-half. “Early on, it was slow and scrappy and it suited Limerick. They were trying to keep it tight and we could not open it up,” he said.
“The key was to get more direct ball into the full-forward line and it all changed once the goals started to come. We held our nerve well in the end, when they were coming back at us. We try to play the perfect game at times, with short passes, but direct hurling is the key.
“It’s no secret we have speed there. There’s no point in sending in slow, high ball.”
Hayes didn’t put his team under any additional pressure prior to the game with mention of scoring differences.
“You couldn’t have told them that. All we said was to go out and win and we’d see what happened after that.”
Hayes believes that his team is developing nicely, with team captain Ollie Canning back to his best and the full-back line marking more tightly.
But he accepted that the half-back line is still at the experimental stage.
Cork referee Michael Collins, who did an excellent job of the football replay, encountered verbal abuse from an angry Galway supporter who ran on to the field late in the game.
Though the supporter was within a few feet, the Munster official was not unduly worried.
“All he said was something like ‘you’re giving Galway nothing’ and then went off,’’ he explained.
“I beeped (linesman Paddy Russell, using his radio microphone) to alert the stewards or the Gardaí.’’
Collins was pleased that Tyrone manager Mickey Harte complimented him on his handling of the game.
“It’s nice when you hear the losing manager say that,” he added. “It was a cracking match and great to be involved. You’d wonder if it will take a lot out of Galway. With extra-time on both Sundays, you could say they played three games.’’
Meanwhile, from Tyrone’s perspective, trainer Paddy Tally is satisfied that the two-week break for the All-Ireland champions will boost their preparations for the May 9 championship game with Derry.
“I don’t think it will be difficult to get them ready,” he said. “The rest they will get after the League will show where they are as regards recovering. And it’s essential that they recover fully before the next game. Two weeks is a long time for these boys because they are in good shape.”
However, he was disappointed with the manner of their defeat.
“It was disappointing to lose after the effort the players put into the games.”
The game wasn’t lost in the last five minutes of extra-time.
“It was lost much earlier than that and that was the most disappointing thing about it.’’
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