Murray hails Galway character but details work to be done ahead of Cork meeting

QUALITY, CHARACTER, AND GUTS': Galway manager Cathal Murray during the Glen Dimplex Camogie All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-final. Pic: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

Character. Quality. Guts. Cathal Murray rhymed off the reasons why his Galway team shaded Tipp in a most tense camogie semi-final.

Failing to score between the 37th and 59th minute, a period during which the westerners went from two in front to two behind, Galway manager Murray admitted that they “looked dead and buried” at times in the final quarter.

What scored them an unlikely victory from this scenario was a run of three late points and so much more along with that.

“The last few minutes were all about Galway and all about our character,” Murray began.

“We got a huge impact off the bench. When Orlaith McGrath came on, we pushed three inside and it probably brought us up the field a small little bit.

“Tipperary were on top at that time. When you go two points down in a semi-final, there are certainly a lot of places to hide. In fairness to these players, they have never hidden. They have never done that.

“It needed massive character. It also needed an awful lot of quality. For Aoife Donohue's levelling score, there were three or four passes for her to get on the ball. Orlaith gave an unbelievable ball across. You need quality, character, and you certainly need guts.

“After being beaten by Tipp in the League final, it did take that character to get over the line. We got the scores when we needed to get them. The players are just absolutely delighted.” 

Having endured barren spells of 13, 11, and 21 minutes respectively across the game, it came as no surprise to hear Murray remark that Galway have much to work on ahead of the decider against Cork on Sunday fortnight.

“Cork have gone to a level even higher than last year. We certainly haven't reached that level yet. But that game there is going to bring us on a lot, and we have another two weeks to work on things. And we really need to work hard because it is a huge, huge challenge in two weeks' time.

“Losing the last two semi-finals was tough. Watching the All-Ireland final, that is where you want to be in the middle of August. Last year walking off, the field here was full of Cork people. Now it is full of Galway people. That is what you want to see.

“It has been a brilliant year so far with the footballers and ladies footballers. It is great that we are part of that now for the next two weeks.

“It is going to take an unbelievable performance in Croke Park. Are the Galway team capable of it, of course they are. Cork have brought it to another level. We need to get there fairly fast. We are there in the final, we are delighted to be there, and we'll give it our best craic.” 

Asked about a sideline altercation with a Tipperary mentor late in the second-half when the latter made his way down to the Galway management area, Murray replied that “these things happen”.

“I have nothing but respect for the Tipperary mentors. There is no doubt about it, they are going to get over the line in a semi-final at some stage. They were brilliant League champions. 

"It took a huge second half performance from us to get over the line. We are just delighted.”