An electric day in the GAA's National Leagues left the wires still twitching on a possible Galway double. Pearse Stadium in Salthill hosted the decisive action for the county's hurlers and footballers but it was the second match, the football league semi-final replay that left the big attendance (officially 16,000 but the ground didn't look less than half-full) buzzing.
A match of alternating current featured power surges from Galway in the first half and Tyrone in the second and for the second week went to extra time. But it was the home side that retained enough of a charge to win by two points after a high-voltage 90 minutes.
"We had a lot of setbacks and a number of injuries," said manager John O'Mahony, "just as Tyrone had but I think the players are due huge credit for their character building . . . We didn't do everything right but we've another game to get it right."
Asked could he explain what had happened his team in the second half O'Mahony quipped: "I don't know. That's what ye're paid to do." But his recovery was strong: "Eh, sorry. I didn't mean it that way. 'I don't know,' would be the answer."
It was suggested to Tyrone manager Mickey Harte the thinning of his team's hectic schedule two weeks before the start of the Ulster championship might be some consolation for the loss of the title the county has held for two years. But Harte was having none of this.
"I'm not pleased one bit. Why would you be when you've just lost the chance of three league titles in a row? Galway were far superior in the first half and hungrier for the ball and won most of the breaking ball. At half-time we just said we've been in places like this before and clawed our way out of it. And we did claw our our way back to the top of the hill but couldn't get down the other side."
Galway will face Kerry in the final at Croke Park on Sunday.
Galway's hurlers zapped three goals past Limerick just after half-time and those scores generated the bulk of the 11-point winning margin that sees Conor Hayes's team into the final ahead of Clare. There they will face a Waterford side that shocked Tipperary with a late comeback to unearth a draw and top the table in Division One's second phase. According to GAC chair Tony O'Keeffe, the final will be held in Limerick's Gaelic Grounds on Sunday week.
At the other end of the table Offaly suffered the ignominy of relegation after an injury-time blitz from Laois in Birr.
On the third match of Pearse Stadium's triple bill All-Ireland women's football champions Mayo claimed the league title. Cork started well but a blast of 1-3 from Cora Staunton in the second half helped them to a 1-13 to 1-11 victory.
