Galway sounded a warning to the nation that their big win over Clare was no fluke today in the Gaelic Grounds when they sauntered to a 2-23 to 1-14 win over Cork.
Galway manager John McIntyre will be concerned about his team’s slow start and their sixteen wides.
However, there were many more aspects of the game that will satisfy the former Tipperary player, not least the tenacious work of his defence and the tireless running and support play of Andy Smith and David Burke at midfield.
If the final score was one sided, that certainly didn’t look likely in the early stages of the game, when Cork burst out of the blocks to build up an early lead. Within sixty seconds they had the ball in the Galway net, Paudie O’Sullivan pouncing on a loose delivery which James Skehill failed to control and finishing well.
The Cloyne full-forward was unstoppable in the opening stages, striking for the first three scores of the game, while Galway’s forwards failed utterly to take full advantage of the breeze that was blowing in their favour.
Six early wides for the Tribesmen allowed Cork into a five point lead, 1-3 to 0-1, but for the second quarter of the game Galway took a stranglehold on the game at midfield and half-back, with David Burke in particular picking up several loose breaks and feeding his inside forwards.
Joe Gantley, now operating at full-forward with Joe Canning out on the wing, was among the early scorers while Damien Hayes also chipped in for two very well-taken points.
Galway’s first goal chance came from a foul on the Portumna corner forward, after good passing from Iarla Tannian and Burke found him loose on the edge of the square.
A high tackle from Eoin Cadogan was designed to bring the play to an immediate halt and left James McGrath with no option but to point to the spot. Cork’s tactical foul then paid off when Joe Canning failed to take advantage, blasting his puck down the middle and at a perfect height for the backs to parry away.
Galway’s dominance out the field continued unabated and their goal finally came in the 33rd minute, Hayes latching onto a breaking ball in behind the full back line and evading the wild challenge of Donal Óg Cusack to tap the ball into the net.
Galway’s five point lead at half time, 1-12 to 1-7, was no more than the Connacht men needed with a stiff breeze to oppose in the second half, but they started in the same vein as they ended the first, with Ger Farragher hitting a wonderful score from sixty metres out into the breeze.
Cork were still working with a lot less possession than their opponents and with Joe Canning and Ger Farragher beginning to find their range, John McIntyre’s men were always on top.
Two excellent points from Cian McCarthy kept Cork in the game and at one stage they had reduced the deficit to three points, however they never got in for the goal that they badly needed to stem the Galway tide.
Referee James McGrath raised the ire of the crowd in the 27th minute when a long clearance from Adrian Cullinane was fielded by Joe Canning and the big forward sprinted clear to bury the ball into the net, only for play to be called back for a Galway free thirty metres out, awarded for a hold of Canning’s hurl.
Canning duly pointed the free, but the disallowed goal turned out to be of little consequence as the ball rippled the Cork net for a second time only two minutes later.
This time the green flag flew, Cyril Donnellan finishing his run from the 45m line with a well placed shot only thirty seconds after being introduced onto the field of play.
Galway began to turn on the style in the last few minutes with Joe Canning taking two fine scores of his own and creating another for David Burke with an incredible reverse handpass.
Cork fought to the very end and both Ben O’Connor and Paudie O’Sullivan had half chances for goals, but time and again the Galway full-back line was equal to the task and they saw out the remainder of the game with their net intact.
Galway: James Skehill; Fergal Moore, Shane Kavanagh, David Collins; Donal Barry, Tony Óg Regan, Adrian Cullinane; David Burke (0-02), Andy Smith (0-02); Joe Gantley (0-01), Ger Farragher (0-04), Iarla Tannian (0-01); Damien Hayes (1-03), Joe Canning (0-10, 0-04 frees, 0-01 ’65), Alan Kerins.
Subs: Cyril Donnellan (1-00) for Alan Kerins, Kevin Hynes for Iarla Tannion, Johnny Coen for Joe Gantley, Damien Joyce for David Collins
Cork: Donal Óg Cusack; Stephen McDonnell, Eoin Cadogan, Brian Murphy; John Gardiner, Ronan Curran, Shane O’Neill; Jerry O’Connor, William Egan; Ben O’Connor, Cian McCarthy (0-03), Niall McCarthy (0-02); Luke O’Farrell, Paudie O’Sullivan (1-03), Patrick Horgan (0-04, 0-02 frees).
Subs: Jamie Coughlan for Luke O’Farrell, Cathal Naughton for Shane O’Neill, Lorcan McLoughlin for Jerry O’Connor, Bill Cooper (0-01) for Cian McCarthy, Conor Lehane (0-01) for Niall McCarthy
Referee: James McGrath (Westmeath)
