Sport

Galway end 29-year wait for an All-Ireland senior hurling success

Galway skipper David Burke hoists the Liam McCarthy Cup on the steps of the Hogan Stand at Croke Park Picture by Hugh Russell
Galway skipper David Burke hoists the Liam McCarthy Cup on the steps of the Hogan Stand at Croke Park Picture by Hugh Russell Galway skipper David Burke hoists the Liam McCarthy Cup on the steps of the Hogan Stand at Croke Park Picture by Hugh Russell

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final: Galway 0-26 Waterford 2-17

ON a day when someone’s famine had to end and someone had to stay hungry, there was at least the natural justice of the better team having won.

The nature of Galway’s hurt since 1988 was particularly concentrated. Six final defeats from that to this was just too much for them to contemplate another, especially when the traditional heavyweights were all home watching on the box.

And while Waterford certainly had no issues in terms of their own desire, they were met by a team that matched them for heart and desire, but simply had more quality.

They also had a big start, which helps. Waterford were on life support inside three minutes, hit by four unanswered points, and even though Kevin Moran brought them to life with a brilliant goal, there was a sense all day that Waterford were just hanging in.

That they managed to hang in right until the very end, when Tommy Ryan’s half-chance for an equalising goal was blocked in a sea of bodies and squirrelled away, was testament to their perseverance.

But there could be few complaints about the result. The goals from Kevin Moran, a much-needed spark when he drilled home at the near post after four minutes, and Kieran Bennett kept Derek McGrath’s side afloat.

And after 42 minutes, they found themselves a point up. Moran – who was excellent – had a chance then to inhale that bit more air into the Waterford lungs but with a fairly easy chance, he fired wide of the near post from 25 yards.

It was a big moment, but it had never had a sense of the monumental. What was to have the greater impact was what happened when the ball was dead from that effort.

Niall Burke came on and engaged in a bit of digging with Shane Fives straight off. Conor Cooney drove the ball in to Burke, he was fouled and Joe Canning levelled from the free.

Burke would go on to score twice himself, as would Jason Flynn when he came on for the final 20 minutes. Their power against a tiring Déise defence that had to eventually abandon the sweeper and go man-for-man was telling.

Still they protected Stephen O’Keeffe, who didn’t face a single goal chance in either semi-final or final, but Galway’s methods of dismembering the sweeper idea were plenty road-tested.

Their 0-26 was like their previous three outings, without any real sign of a goal or any real sign of needing one. You don’t when you’re averaging almost 28 white flags a game.

Both starting midfielders, five of their forwards and two of their subs chipped in on scoring duty, some of them heavily.

Even on a quiet enough day Conor Cooney got three. Joseph Cooney (inset) was quiet for a lot of it but had two early on. Cathal Mannion got two. And their captain, leader and inspiration on the day, David Burke, hit four from play in a brilliant display from midfield.

Contrast that with Waterford, for whom only Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh (0-1) and Pauric Mahony (0-3) scored from play of their starting front five. They were reliant on Jamie Barron and Kevin Moran to punch holes from deeper and eventually, that took its toll.

The first half was all energy and pace and panache on both ends. It was breathless, played in a cauldron of expectant noise with a referee who’d developed an allergy to his whistle.

When Shane Bennett fired a hurl at his brother Kieran’s long ball, Colm Callanan’s eyes were turned. They both missed the sliotar altogether as it sneaked past to level it at 0-10 to 2-4, with Galway having done almost all the hurling.

It was a display in strength of character from the Déise. When they’d met an early Kilkenny storm in ’08, they had no answer and were sucked in and spat out inside 15 minutes.

This time they had the steel and that brought heart to them. When that second goal went in, the sea legs were well established. At the half there was just one in it, 0-14 to 2-7, and from there it wouldn’t be a case of wills letting them down.

It was Shane Bennett’s last action, coming over on an ankle in trying to reach that ball, and Maurice Shanahan did provide a different threat. But it was one they played to too much in the second half, with not nearly enough joy.

The legs did grow tired on both ends and it became like tennis off both sides’ puck-outs. Stephen O’Keeffe would play a one-two and then launch it high into the sky, where they could all fight.

Problem was that in Daithí Burke and Gearoid McInerney, the winners had reinforced steel at the heart of their defence.

Aidan Harte picked up enough loose ball to do and as a result, they never threatened to leak a third goal.

Waterford went ahead and then went ahead again two minutes later but when Niall Burke landed a superb effort from beneath the Cusack Stand, it started a run of four unanswered points.

All of Tadhg de Búrca’s brilliance seemed laid to waste when Burkes Niall and David, and Joe Canning, pointed in quick succession to make it 0-21 to 2-12.

Pauric Mahony had largely been keeping Waterford alive, drifting off Pádraic Mannion and hitting each of his side’s first five scores of the second period, but he mishit a critical free late on when they needed everything to go over.

Scores by subs Brian O’Halloran and Tommy Ryan were a mark of quality, the latter making it 0-22 to 2-15 as the underdogs refused to let go of the master’s coat-tail.

But a harsh call against Shane Fives for a throw-ball when he seemed to have been fouled on his way out swung it back in Galway’s favour again. Canning nailed the free and within 80 seconds, Conor Cooney and Jason Flynn had pushed the gap from one back out to four.

It was probably a more reflective gap and one that forced Derek McGrath’s hand as he pushed man-for-man.

It allowed them to build pressure and there were moments of heat around the Galway square, but nothing they couldn’t cope with.

The crescendo was a roar that punctured the lingering cells of those 29 years and a speech from David Burke that thanked everyone bar the parish priest’s housekeeper.

Waterford were lionhearted until the last and this wasn’t the kind of defeat that would leave an unhealable scar just like ’08 did.

There’s plenty in them to be back, though whether it’s with McGrath at the helm remains to be seen.

But with an average age of just over 25, only one starting player over 28 and the Kilkenny production line dropping off, Galway’s potential is limitless. But given all that’s gone before, they’d have settled for just this one.

Galway: C Callanan; A Tuohy, Daithí Burke, J Hanbury; P Mannion, G McInerney, A Harte; J Coen (0-1), David Burke (0-4); J Cooney (0-2), J Canning (0-9, 0-6 frees, 0-1 line ball), C Mannion (0-2); C Whelan (0-1), C Cooney (0-3), J Glynn

Subs: N Burke (0-2) for Glynn (42), J Flynn (0-2) for Mannion (54), S Moloney for David Burke (69)

Yellow cards: J Hanbury (35), David Burke (42), A Harte (55), C Cooney (70)

Waterford: S O’Keeffe; S Fives, B Coughlan, N Connors; D Fives, T de Búrca, Philip Mahony, K Bennett (1-0); J Barron (0-2), K Moran (1-1); A Gleeson, Pauric Mahony (0-11, 0-8 frees), M Walsh (0-1); J Dillon, S Bennett

Subs: M Shanahan for S Bennett (23), B O’Halloran (0-1) for Dillon (48), T Ryan (0-1) for Walsh (55), C Dunford for Barron (64), P Curran for K Bennett (64)

Yellow cards: B Coughlan (59)

Referee: F Horgan (Tipperary)

Attendance: 82,300

WATERFORD PLAYER RATINGS

Stephen O’Keeffe: Excellent from the puck-outs, in the decision-making and execution. Had nothing to do defensively in terms of shot-stopping or aerially. 8

Shane Fives: Got a particularly raw deal from the referee. Did well on Conor Cooney until Galway changed things up and after a spell on Glynn, he ended up with Niall Burke, who had a big final quarter. 6.5

Barry Coughlan: Faced with the aerial threat of Jonathan Glynn, Coughlan was comfortable in dealing with it for the whole of the first half. Commanded his square excellently. 7.5

Noel Connors: Edged his battle with Conor Whelan. Won a number of their 50-50 tussles and conceded just a single score. 7.5

Tadhg de Búrca: Outstanding. Composure and class on the ball, he made just one mistake – and rectified it by blocking the resulting shot. 9

Darragh Fives: Struggled with Joseph Cooney during the blistering Galway start but got to grips and went on to have a steady enough outing. 6.5

Philip Mahony: While Joe Canning has his moments, hitting two points from play early on in a bit of space, Mahony tightened up and restricted him well in open play. 7

Kieran Bennett: His goal was a fluke but seemed to settle him as well. Did a decent job on Cathal Mannion defensively and grew into it. 7

Jamie Barron: In a brilliant midfield battle, Barron got the better of Johnny Coen and was a real driving force for Waterford. Hit a couple of first half wides but had a big impact. 8

Kevin Moran: The veteran forward was a massive influence. Brilliant finish for the badly-needed goal that sparked them, and had a huge amount of ball in his hands. Hit a bad wide at a crucial time though. 7.5

Pauric Mahony: Didn’t miss much from frees barring one effort after he’d taken a belt himself. Got three from play as well and caused huge strife for Pádraic Mannion, on top of a big workrate. 7.5

Austin Gleeson: A very disappointing day for the Mount Sion clubman. Landed an early shoulder to put Gearoid McInerney over the line but that was it. Didn’t score and had very little influence. 5

Michael Walsh: Terrific score from the sideline when he combined with Kevin Moran midway through the first half. Battled but ran out of steam as John Hanbury got stronger. 6.5

Jake Dillon: Won two frees that Mahony scored and his effort couldn’t be questioned but most of his work was chasing ball into corners, and thus he didn’t unduly trouble the Galway defence. 6.5

Shane Bennett: Day cut short by injury but in the 23 minutes he got he looked off the pace. Caused enough confusion to allow for Colm Callanan’s mistake on the second goal but came straight off. 5.5

Substitutes

Maurice Shanahan: Almost got in on goal at the very start of the second half but was denied. Won a couple of balls and subsequently frees, but was largely restrained by Daithí Burke. 6.5

Brian O’Halloran: Hit a brilliant score on the run from the wing and also won another free. Good impact. 7

Tommy Ryan: Showed great pace and hit arguably the score of the day, as well as creating their final chance. 7

Colin Dunford: Not on long enough to be rated.

Patrick Curran: Not on long enough to be rated.

GALWAY PLAYER RATINGS

Colm Callanan: Well-rehearsed puck-out strategy paid dividends. He was accurate from restarts. Well beaten by Moran’s eye-of-a-needle finish, could have done better for second but blocked Maurice Shanahan shot at start of second half. 7

Adrian Tuohey: Picked up Shane Bennett until he went off injured and then switched to Jake Dillon and later Brian O’Halloran. Worked hard. 7

Daithi Burke: A commanding presence in front of the Galway posts. Kept tabs on the muscular Shanahan after he came in and weathered the second half storm as the Deise lobbed ball-after-ball into the Galway square. 8

John Hanbury: Booked in the first half, he picked up Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh and restricted him to a single point in the first half. At the coalface in the second half to negate Waterford’s aerial threat. 7

Padraic Mannion: Shadowed Waterford’s top scorer Pauric Mahony who hit three points from play. Given a difficult afternoon as the Deise broke at pace from the middle third but stuck to his task. 6

Gearoid McInerney: One of two spare men in Galway’s defence and provided cover in front of the full-back line. Dumped on his backside by a shoulder charge from Austin Gleeson, he won the next ball that came his way and restricted Gleeson’s influence in the second half. 8

Aidan Harte: A composed performance from the Galway sweeper. Covered a lot of ground and nipped in to clear when Waterford threatened a third goal. 7

Jonnny Coen: Lost Kevin Moran for the Waterford skipper’s early goal. Moran also managed a point, but the superbly balanced Coen got on top as the game progressed and scored a first half stunner. Late block as Tommy Ryan went for goal. 8

David Burke:  His duel with Jamie Barron was one of the best in the game. They hit two points each in the first half but the Galway skipper was the one who kicked on in the second. He landed two more crucial points just as Waterford looked like they could cause an upset. Superb performance. 9.5

Joseph Cooney: He had Tadhg de Burca for company but lost him for two first half points. Full of running, he put in a real shift for his side in the middle third. 7

Joe Canning: Played as a third midfielder and forced to retreat into his own half to keep tabs on Philip Mahony. Registered the first point of the game, one of four in the first half and he added five more frees in the second. 8

Jonathon Glynn: Started at full-forward but swapped with Cathal Mannion and adopted a deeper role. Worked hard but subbed early in the second half. 6

Conor Whelan: Noel Connors kept him on a short leash but he registered one of the best points of the first half from the shadow of the Cusack Stand. Full of unselfish running. 7

Conor Cooney: Chipped in with two quality first half points, but Shane Fives shackled him well in the second half. 7

Cathal Mannion: The languid Mannion made the game looked very easy at times and scored two sweetly-struck points in the first half. Barry Coughlan got to grips with him in the second and he was subbed. 7

Substitutes

Niall Burke: On for Glynn after 43 minutes. His first act was to force Shane Fives to concede a free and he scored two important points as well. 8

Jason Flynn: On for Mannion with 15 minutes to go. Scored immediately and added another to see Galway home. 8

Shane Maloney: On for David Burke with 70 seconds of normal time remaining.