All Ireland U17 Hurling Semi Final:
Cork 1-19 Galway 1-17
A spirited performance from Galway saw them come up just short in the All Ireland U17 Hurling semi final in Thurles on Thursday evening. Cork, playing their fourth game of the Championship, finished strongly but Galway, playing in their first game of the season, came within touching distance of their opponents.
Galway didn’t start 4 of their Minor team from last Saturday’s All Ireland Minor Quarter final win over Clare, namely Mark Gill, Caimin Killeen, John Fleming and Conor Walsh, while Cork did have their Minor players. Fleming, Killeen and Gill did come on in the second half.
Cork led by 0-3 to 0-1 after 6 minutes, but Galway settled and with the aid of the breeze they built a 0-6 to 0-4 lead with Conor Molloy, Diarmuid O’Brien, and Enda Egan, a sideline cut, all getting fine scores. Indeed, Galway went 0-9 to 0-6 ahead on 25 minutes, with the impressive Molloy, Niall Coen and Enda Egan all scoring.
Then in first half injury time Cork’s Colin O’Brien shot a fine goal to leave Cork 1-7 to 0-9 ahead at the interval and Galway ruing 8 first half wides. Galway started the second half well and points from Paul Creaven, sub John Fleming who came on at the break, Mark Kennedy and Conor Molloy had Galway 0-13 to 1-7 ahead on 36 mins.
Slowly Cork got motoring and by the time Molloy and Fleming had added further Galway points, Cork were back on level terms at 1-12 to 0-15 on 47 minutes. Then Galway keeper Darach Fahy did well to save a penalty from Daire Connery, but by the 55th minute Cork had edged 1-16 to 0-16 in front.
Then Dylan Shaughnessy and Mark Kennedy set up Niall Coen for a well taken goal and thus the sides were level at 1-16 apiece on 56 minutes, but Cork finished with 0-3 to Galway’s 0-1 in the final minutes to eke out the win and secure a place in Sunday week’s final against Dublin.
Galway: Darach Fahy, Eoin O’ Donnell, Simon Thomas (C), TJ Brennan, Dylan Shaughnessy, Conor Lee, David Jordan, Diarmuid O’Brien 0-1, Paul Creaven 0-1, Enda Egan 0-2, 0-1 Sideline Cut, Conor Molloy 0-9, 4 frees, 1 65, Nathan Earner, Mark Kennedy 0-1, Jack Egan, Niall Coen 1-1. Subs John Fleming 0-2 for J Egan ht, Caimin Killeen for E Egan 49 mins, M Gill for O’Brien 56 mins, Adam Clarke Blood for Gill, Daragh Conneely, Jack Hughes, Ronan Flannery, Eoin Caulfield, Noel Keogh, Sean Burke, Conor Walsh.
Management: Niall Canavan & Damien Curley (Joint Managers) Selectors: Willie Burke, Joe Hession, Gordon Crowley
Cork: Colin O’Brien 1-10, Daire Connery 0-3, Tommy O’Connell 0-2, Blake Murphy 0-2, Brian Roche 0-2
