Galway beat Clare 1-15 to 2-11 in a thrilling Guinness All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship round 1 qualifier in Cusack Park, Ennis today. Niall Gilligan had a late chance to earn a point for the Banner men, however, his puck went agonisingly wide to ensure the Tribesmen's passage.
Barry Murphy’s skilful play resulted in an early goal for Clare, and for much of the first half that was the difference between the sides. However, Clare’s rate of scoring slowed down and a sequence of points from Galway without answer dragged Clare back. A fine point from Kevin Broderick on 20 minutes had the sides level. They didn’t stop there though, and they went in at half time one point ahead.
Galway opened the second half brightly, but it took them five minutes to get their first score through Alan Kearns to put them two points ahead. Four minutes later Gilligan pointed Clare’s first of the half from a free to reduce the divide to one point again. The game began to get heated and tempers were fraying in the mid-evening heat. Davy Ftizgerald took a blow to the face and a melée ensued in front of the Clare 'keeper’s goal. Ollie Fahy and Fitzgerald received yellow cards. The result of all this frenzied action was an equalising point from a free from Gilligan.
Some artful hurling from Galway, after Clare had surrendered possession after a Tony Carmody shot failed to even reach the endline, brought Ollie Fahy and Davy Fitz head-to-head once more. The Clare ‘keeper came off second-best again as the ball hit the net. Seconds later Tony Griffin had put the ball in the back of the Galway net to level it again after the initial shot had been saved by Galway 'keeper Donoghue. The two teams returned to trading points, with one from Galway, followed by an answering point from Clare.
A breaking ball in front of the Clare goal resulted in yet another yellow card, this time for Kevin Broderick as he collided with a bloody Davy Fitz. With seconds to go, Gilligan was given the chance to level the game with a free from deep in his own half. But as the ball sailed wide of the post the final whistle blew, signalling the end of Clare’s participation in this season’s Championship.
Filed by Barry J Whyte
