Galway hold nerve to earn a shot at glory

So often in recent decades a Galway senior hurling team has come to Croke Park with hopes high and so often, against Cork especially, those hopes have been dashed.

Not yesterday.

Having shattered Kilkenny in their last Croke Park outing with a first-half performance of pace, power and precision, winning their first Leinster title in the process, Galway were cast in the dreaded role of favourites for this All-Ireland semi-final joust with their old nemesis from Munster. The hopes were there again but so was the fear they would once again find a way to lose a game they were expected to win. Not this game. Not when you have players like Portumna ‘twins’ Joe Canning and Damien Hayes who became used to producing big displays on big days during that club’s three All-Ireland wins in four years. Not when you have defenders of the calibre of Johnny Coen, Fergal Moore, Niall Donoghue and Tony Óg Regan. Not when you have a management team of the combined hurling intelligence of Anthony Cunningham, Tom Helebert and Mattie Kenny.