Galway coasted into the All-Ireland semi-final at Ballinasloe on Saturday evening with an eight-point win over London. Two points up inside three minutes, the winners' goal came in the 12th minute when Basil Larkin booted the ball to the net after a Fergal Healy 65 dropped in the goalmouth. At half-time the home side led by 1-8 to 0-5 and even though the visitors reduced the gap to four points inside seven minutes after the resumption, the outcome was never in doubt.
London depended on the accuracy of mid-fielder Timmy Maloney for all their scores, nine of them coming from frees, while Galway's free-taker Rory Gantley emerged as their top scorer.
Galway looked hungrier and even though they had to give second best in some areas, their main strength was in attack. Galway had only seven wides in the hour compared to the visitors' six, but over-elaboration often cost them many more scores.
Galway: N Murphy; P Diviney, R Burke, D Turley; S Forde, N Larkin, N Power; M Kenny, P Forde 0-2; M Forde 0-1, L Hogan 0-2, F Healy 0-1; B Larkin 1-0, M Connolly 0-3, R Gantley 0-7. Subs: N Kenny for Healy, N Burke for M Forde, M Fahey for B Larkin. London: M Kearney; L Barron, W Lohan, D O'Hanlon; S Tooher, M Waldron, JJ Sheil; T Maloney 0-11, J Kennedy; E Monaghan, B Hanrahan, J Comerford; M Cunningham, D Spellman, D Quinlan. Subs: P Sheehan for Kennedy, B Dolan for Comerford.
Referee: S McMahon (Clare)
