Galway 2-13 Waterford 1-18
Galway
will face Wexford at home in the Allianz National Hurling League Quarter Final
next weekend following their defeat to Waterford yesterday. A late goal from
Shane Bennett's giving Waterford a by 1-18 to 2-13 win at Walsh Park.
Shane Bennett’s stoppage time goal sealed a morale-boosting win for
Waterford in appalling conditions at Walsh Park, as the hosts outgunned Galway
by 1-11 to 0-2 in the second half to overturn a 10-point interval deficit. In
driving wind, Bennett scooped the ball over the Town End goal line following a
sweeping move instigated by Austin Gleeson, as the outstanding Peter Hogan sent
Bennett through to nudge the sliotar beyond Galway custodian Fergal Flannery.
Paraic Fanning’s charges struck eight unanswered second half points before
Galway ground out a reply via a 55th minute Joe Canning free to set up a
grandstand finish, something which most of the 3,371-strong crowd couldn’t have
reckoned on at half-time.
Playing with the benefit of a strong gale, Galway dominated the second
quarter of the opening half to lead by 2-11 to 0-7 at the break, with five of
their starting six forwards scoring from play. Waterford, who didn’t score
between the 17th minute and the half-time interval, initially adapted well to
the elements to lead by 0-5 to 0-3 after just seven minutes, with Stephen
Bennett landing three early points.
In a first half splashed by sunlight but dominated by hail, both of Galway’s
goals were finely executed. After 11 minutes, Jason Flynn gave Déise full-back
Shane McNulty the slip down the left flank to slide the ball hard and low to
Stephen O’Keeffe’s left.
As sheets of hail gusted in from the Keane’s Road end, Brian Concannon’s
33rd minute shot, following a move instigated by Joe Canning, zipped past
O’Keeffe almost as quickly as the falling hail, rounding off the afternoon’s
finest passage of play.
Despite Galway’s sizeable lead, only the foolhardiest of tipsters would have
plumped for a victor come the half-time break, and this sentiment was borne out
over the course of a dramatic second half.
Waterford re-emerged a rejuvenated force and gamely worked their way back
into the contest, with Pauric Mahony, Shane Bennett, Mikey Kearney and Jamie
Barron, via a short Shane Bennett sideline cut, all pointing within seven
minutes of the restart.
Barron, producing the form that landed him a 2017 All-Star, pointed well in
the 41st minute after Fergal Flannery’s puck-out drifted backward in the gale,
with further points from Pauric Mahony and Stephen Bennett (a free) leaving
just a point between the sides.
Canning, who led the Tribesmen’s scoring chart with seven points, finally
ended Galway’s wait for a second half point 15 minutes from the end of normal
time, only for Stephen Bennett (another free) to muster a near immediate reply.
Niall Burke turned over what felt like a vital Galway point on the hour but
that was to prove the visitors’ final score of a wind-dominated fixture.
GALWAY: Fergal Flannery; Jack Grealish, Ronan Burke, Aidan
Harte; Kevin Hussey, Padraic Mannion, Gearoid McInerney; Cathal Mannion, Sean
Loftus; Niall Burke(0-3), Joe Canning (0-7, 6fs), Brian Concannon (1-0); Cathal
Whelan (0-2), Jason Flynn (1-1, 1f), Davey Glennon. Subs: Sean
Lehane for Flynn, Sean Linnane for Mannion, Paul Killeen for J Grealish, Sean
Kilduff for S Linnane, John Hanbury for R Burke.
WATERFORD: Stephen O’Keeffe; Darragh Lyons, Shane McNulty, Noel Connors; Callum Lyons, Philip Mahony, Michael Walsh; Jamie Barron(0-3), Kevin Moran; Colin Dunford, Mikey Kearney (0-2), Pauric Mahony (0-2); Peter Hogan, Stephen Bennett (0-10, 8fs), Shane Bennett (1-1). Subs: Jordan Henley for Darragh Lyons, Austin Gleeson for Walsh, Stephen Roche for Dunford, Colm Roche for Connors, Jack Prendergast for Callum Lyons.
Sean Walsh spoke with Galway Manager Micheal Donoghue after the match..
