MHC: Galway 1-18 Cork 0-17

Audio

• Brian Carthy reports on Galway's narrow victory over Cork in their All-Ireland MHC semi-final clash at Croke Park.

Richie Cummins scored 1-05 from play as Galway set up an All-Ireland MHC final clash with Kilkenny on 7 September.

In only their second competitive outing of the year, Mattie Murphy's youngsters edged out the Munster champions.

The sides were level at half-time at 0-08 apiece with Cummins and Cork free-taker Simon O'Brien hitting 0-03 each.

Galway moved 0-13 to 0-10 ahead before Cummins flashed home his 45th-minute goal. Cork, with Padraig O'Shea (0-05) top-scoring, mounted a late comeback but it was not to be.

With David Glennon starring in a three-man midfield, Galway were able to motor ahead midway through the second half and hold firm despite a late string of Cork points.

Cork lined out with an unchanged team, sticking with the 15 players that started last month's 0-19 to 0-18 Munster final win over Tipperary.

The Rebels had the benefit of four Championship games in the lead-up to today's clash and Ger Manley's side were quietly confident of progressing after wins over Limerick, Waterford and Tipp.

Galway, who only just beat Wexford last time out, made two changes to their side with Ronan Burke and the aforementioned Glennon preferred to James Regan and Luke Madden.

Cork seemed to settle the quicker but the sides shared out four points during an even first eight minutes - Daniel Roche and Seamus O'Farrell pointed for Cork, while Niall Burke and Cummins got Galway off the mark.

By the end of the first quarter-hour, the sides could still not be separated. Burke's second point had Galway 0-04 to 0-03 ahead before O'Brien pointed a free at the other end.

Aidan Walsh then scored arguably the point of the first half when he rifled over after a powerful run forward.

That was a feature of Cork's play in the opening 30 minutes, with their half-backs and midfielders performing particularly well.

Overall, Galway were far more clinical in front of goal. Despite this, they did miss out on a good goal-scoring opportunity when David Burke's rising shot was saved by Cork net minder Darren McCarthy.

Cork should have been ahead through the 20-minute mark but they rushed a number of scoring chances, resulting in four wides.

The elusive Cummins was beginning to prove a menace to the Cork defence. He darted away from his marker to end a scoreless spell for Galway and square up the game for a fifth time.

The corner-forward landed his third point from close range, boosting his side's tally to 0-06, but scores from Padraig O'Shea (free), Jamie O'Dwyer and O'Brien (free) meant it was level-pegging again by the break, 0-08 apiece.

The sides were level for the ninth and tenth time before Murphy's charges managed to pull away.

Points from Paul Honohan and O'Shea (free) levelled at 0-10 apiece. In between, Galway again missed out on a goal when Glennon, who had just pointed, saw his goal-bound shot parried away by McCarthy's superb full-length save.

An excellent '65' from Burke nosed Galway 0-11 to 0-10 ahead and Cummins then meandered through the Cork defence to strike his fourth point and open up a two-point gap for the first time.

The pressure was beginning to mount and cracks appeared in the Cork rearguard. A poor clearance from Cian Smith led to a point from Niall Burke.

Then came the game's only goal as Cummins produced an excellent hook on William Egan and dashed through from the right before tapping the sliotar beyond McCarthy.

O'Farrell and O'Shea responded for Cork, reducing the arrears to 1-13 to 0-12, but Galway strung together the next three points with Burke, Cummins and the pacy Bernard Burke all raising white flags.

Then it was Cork's turn to find an extra gear and four points in the space of five minutes from substitute James Coughlan, O'Shea (0-02) and O'Brien made it 1-16 to 0-16.

Sandwiched in between those points, Cork almost snuffed out a goal but Coughlan's stinging shot was stopped by a terrific diving save from Fergal Flannery.

Cork regrouped and right on the hour mark, they made it a two-point game thanks to an excellent point from Aidan Walsh.

The Rebels lost defender Egan to a second bookable offence - he was harshly given his marching orders for a mistimed challenge when trying to pull on an aerial ball.

And Galway took their cue to grab two late insurance points through David Burke (free) and Niall Quinn, keeping alive their hopes of winning the county's first minor All-Ireland since 2005.

Galway: F Flannery; D Connolly, D Cooney, G O'Halloran; R Burke, N Donoghue, R Foy; D Burke (0-02, 1f), D Fox (0-01); N Burke (0-03), N Quinn (0-03), A Dolan; R Cummins (1-05), D Glennon (0-02, 1 '65'), B Burke (0-02).

Subs used: J Regan for Foy (43 mins), B Flaherty for Fox (47), L Madden for D Glennon (60+1), M Dolphin for B Burke (60+2).

Cork: D McCarthy; C Smith, D Rogers, E Moynihan; A Walsh (0-02), P O'Shea (0-05, 4f, 1 '65'), W Egan; S O'Farrell (0-02), D Roche (0-01); M Collins, C Sheehan, S O'Brien (0-04, 3f); J O'Dwyer (0-01), P Honohan (0-01), P Haughney.

Subs used: J Coughlan (0-01) for Haughney (35 mins), L O'Farrell for Honohan (48), B Collins for Smith (52), M Carroll for O'Dwyer (55).

Referee: Anthony Stapleton (Laois).