Galway defy odds to secure late win

Galway 0-16 Wexford 0-15: MATTIE MURPHY'S Galway defied the odds at Semple Stadium yesterday to record a one-point victory against…

Galway 0-16 Wexford 0-15:MATTIE MURPHY'S Galway defied the odds at Semple Stadium yesterday to record a one-point victory against Wexford in an exciting ESB All-Ireland minor hurling quarter-final.

One point (0-15 to 0-14) in arrears approaching the finish, Galway suffered two huge blows when wing back Rory Foy was sent off for a second bookable offence four minutes from the end, followed by wing forward and top scorer Niall Burke on a straight red just three minutes later.

Corner forward Bernard Burke had rattled the crossbar as the Westerners chased parity but they dug deep and after Domhnaill Fox shot a last-minute equaliser, centre forward Niall Quinn popped up with his third point almost two minutes into stoppage time to settle the tie.

Galway, who will face Munster champions Cork in the semi-final, led by 0-9 to 0-6 at half-time, after the sides had been level four times.

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The winners had goalkeeper Fergal Flannery to thank for a point-blank save to deny Shane Tomkins in first-half stoppage time and he also produced a superb save 10 minutes into the second half after Wexford skipper Joe Kelly connected brilliantly with a sweet ground-strike.

GALWAY: F Flannery; D Connolly, D Cooney, G O'Halloran; J Regan (0-1), N Donoghue, R Foy; D Burke (0-3, frees), D Fox (0-1); N Burke (0-4, frees), N Quinn (0-3), A Dolan (0-1); R Cummins, L Madden (0-1), B Burke (0-1). Subs: C Burke for Donoghue (39 mins), D Glennon (0-1) for Regan (39 mins), B Flaherty for Cummins (52 mins).

WEXFORD: M Fanning; E Moore, J Leacy, P Donnelly; C Clince, A Shore (0-1, free), S Murphy (0-1); S Tomkins (0-1), J Kelly (0-4, free); H Kehoe, P Morris (0-2, one free), L Óg McGovern (0-3); D O'Keeffe (0-1), Michael O'Hanlon, J Gahan (0-1). Subs: P Kelly (0-1) for O'Hanlon (27 mins), J Cullen for O'Keeffe (52 mins), Matthew O'Hanlon for P Kelly (53 mins).

Referee: T Ryan (Tipperary)