Tipp recover to beat Galway

Tipperary 2-15 Galway 2-13

Tipperary made up for the disappointment of losing to bitter rivals Clare last Sunday as goals either side of the break from corner forward Paddy O’Brien and substitute Seamus Butler aided them on their way to a 2-15 to 2-13 over Galway at Thurles in the Allianz NHL Division One Group 1.

They were forced to come from behind as the Tribesmen hit the first four scores of the match at Semple stadium.

Eugene Cloonan, who has been in devastating form throughout the league campaign, hammered over two early frees, and coupled with two Alan Kerins’ points from play, it looked like more of the same from the side which defeated Cork 3-13 to 1-15 seven days ago.

But the Premier side are made of sterner stuff, and in the 12th minute, they had their first goal.

Tony Scroope’s flick through was buried to the Galway net by the onrushing O’Brien, and with Eoin Kelly (0-04) and busy forward John Carroll (0-02) getting amongst the points from the 15th minute on, Tipp were 1-08 to 0-08 in front at the interval.

Cloonan and Broderick (0-02) had hit Galway’s final points of the first half to draw back within a goal, having gone behind by as much a five, but the visitors failed to shoot out of the traps after the restart.

Indeed they had to wait 19 minutes until Cloonan registered their first second half point. Tipp corner forward Eoin Kelly registered two more scores on 37 and 39 minutes, and with Benny Dunne and Carroll again on target, Tipp were 1-12 to 0-9 in front with a quarter-of-an-hour to play.

That final quarter was to produce a glut of action however as Galway drew within a single point, as Kevin Broderick goaled on 61 minutes and another Cloonan free pushed Galway to 1-11.

Kelly and Lar Corbett shot over soon after to rally the Tipp cause and they were back to a 2-14 to 1-12 lead thanks to Butler’s goal on 66 minutes.

Broderick however found a path past Brendan Cummins for his second goal with two minutes remaining, and although Mark Kerins pointed with 30 seconds remaining, he was effectively cancelling out a 30-metre Paul Kelly effort – Tipperary’s 15th point.