Sport

Galway book semi-final with Tipperary with win over Clare

Galway's Padraic Mannion comes under pressure from Clare's Colm Galvin and Conor Cleary during Sunday's All-Ireland SHC quarter-final at Semple Stadium <br />Picture by Seamus Loughran&nbsp;
Galway's Padraic Mannion comes under pressure from Clare's Colm Galvin and Conor Cleary during Sunday's All-Ireland SHC quarter-final at Semple Stadium
Picture by Seamus Loughran 
Galway's Padraic Mannion comes under pressure from Clare's Colm Galvin and Conor Cleary during Sunday's All-Ireland SHC quarter-final at Semple Stadium
Picture by Seamus Loughran 

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship quarter-final:


Galway 2-17 Clare 0-17

MICHEAL DONOGHUE’S Galway swept past Clare on Sunday to book an All-Ireland SHC semifinal showdown with Tipperary on August 14.

Goals in either half from Conor Cooney and Joe Canning proved crucial in front of 31,690 spectators at Semple Stadium. Galway were pilloried for their Leinster final second half collapse against Kilkenny but they bounced back in style to end Clare’s season. The Banne rmen do have a league title to show for their efforts in 2016, but the county’s footballers are their last Championship hope this season.

Canning collected 1-8 and Galway, having built up a seven-point lead at half-time - 1-10 to 0-6 - they finished the job in the second period. The goal was a tonic in the 15th minute as Conor Cooney drilled a shot past Andrew Fahy at the Clare goalkeeper’s near post.

That score established a 1-4 to 0-3 lead for Galway and they went on to lead by eight approaching the break, before Clare hit the final score of the half from Tony Kelly. Clare were struggling for inspiration up front and from the 16th minute to the first minute of stoppage time, when Kelly struck, they went without a score from play.

Clare managed just three points from play in the first half, two from the impressive Colm Galvin, as Galway dominated for the most part. During Clare’s worst spell of the half, Kelly drove a 20-metre free inexplicably wide and the Ballyea wizard was also denied a potential goal by Adrian Tuohy, who made up the ground to execute a brilliant hook.

Galway opened the second half as Canning netted 11 seconds after the restart, which gave the Tribesmen a 10-point lead to protect. Clare did rally to within five points - 0-13 to 2-12 - but Cyril Donnellan’s point steadied Galway nerves in the 58th minute.

Clare were four points down, 0-15 to 2-13, with 10 minutes left when Colin Ryan slotted over a free but Galway held firm at the back. Despite finishing with 15 wides, Galway still had more than enough in the tank to advance.

Following his midweek heart scare, Clare boss Davy Fitzgerald was well enough to patrol the touchline but was non-committal on his future at full-time. When asked if he will return for a sixth season at the helm next year, Fitzgerald smiled and said: “I intend to go home and relax tonight anyhow, that’s what I intend to do.

“They’ve given me another year, so I’ll see. I’ll sit down and talk with the family. Health is number one, and we’ll see. We’ll chat and we’ll see, whatever the story is. But I’m going to take a small bit of a breather now. National League champions, went to the All-Ireland quarter-final - for a county like Clare, not so bad, but there’ll be better days ahead from them.”

Fitzgerald also admitted that Ger Loughnane’s stinging criticism of Galway did Clare no favours: “We all know that. Listen, I’m not going to dwell on that.

“We’ll put it down to Galway and fair play to them, it was a great day for them. They can’t be a bad team having got to two All-Ireland finals and winning a Leinster.”

Donoghue refused to be drawn on Loughnane’s comments, when the former Clare and Galway manager labelled him as Fr Trendy, a reference to the late Dermot Morgan’s character on RTÉ’s The Live Mike.

Donoghue said: “Any day you get to a final, a provincial final, there are always people who are going to have comments and analysis of that, but with respect the only people that matter are people that we have respect for - family and friends and stuff.” 

MATCH STATS


Galway: C Callanan; J Coen, J Hanbury, P Mannion (0-1); G McInerney, Daithi Burke, A Harte (0-1); David Burke (0-3), A Tuohy; J Flynn, J Canning (1-8, 0-6f, 0-2 65s), C Mannion (0-1); C Whelan, J Cooney (0-3), C Cooney (1-0). Subs: C Donnellan (0-01) for C Cooney (47), D Glennon for Flynn (53), F Moore for Coen (60), A Smith for Whelan (67), S Moloney for J Cooney (70).


Clare: A Fahy; O O’Brien, C Dillon, P O’Connor; B Bugler, D McInerney (0-1), J Browne; C Cleary, D Reidy; C Galvin (0-5), T Kelly (0-7, 0-6 frees), J Conlon; P Collins, S O’Donnell, A Shanagher. Subs: D Fitzgerald for Bugler (42), C McGrath (0-02) for Collins (49), A Cunningham for Shanagher (52), C Ryan (0-2 frees) for Reidy (55).


Referee: B Gavin (Offaly)