Galway could not have wished to retain their All-Ireland minor hurling championship title in more heart-warming circumstances at Croke Park yesterday.
A plethora of 35 scores, end-to-end action, a bombardment of Cork goals - the last following a penalty - and finally, a great recovery-bid by the Connacht champions, enriched one of the best exhibitions of the code to grace the headquarters pitch.
Galway manager John Hardiman was not shy in stating: "We were better than Cork, the goals kept them in it and let them back into the match." Cork's ability to hit goals, scoring two in the opening 19 minutes, threatened to upset the well-oiled Galway apple cart.
Cork's only other first-half scores were three pointed-frees from the game's topscorer Kieran Murphy of Sarsfields and two more from play by midfielder Mark O'Connor and Conor Brosnan. It was a suspect tally that had the Munster champions in front after 33 minutes.
But, moments later, two-goal Galway star corner forward David Green had the umpire reaching for the green flag after fetching a deft Trevor Kavanagh cross.
Galway dominated the opening period, but they lost the services of their playmaker and scorer-supreme Kevin Brady after only 14 minutes. Brady took a knock early on and was eventually forced out even though he returned in the closing stages.
Brian O'Mahoney, Adrian Diviney and Adrian Cullinane were heroic in the Galway defence, despite those boat-rocking snap-goals by Setanta O hAilpin and Tomas O'Leary.
Most of the movement was in Cork's half of the pitch in that opening period, a situation that was created to a huge degree by the skills and awareness of the remarkable Gerry Farragher whose maturity belies his years.
Farragher, one of five players to figure on the winning team last year, is heading in the right direction to rewrite the minor championship history book for he is again eligible for next year's team.
He clipped over eight of the Galway points with panache, five of them from frees and another from a terrific sideline cut. Half-time saw Galway hold a slender two-point lead, 1-10 to 2-5.
"We stressed at half-time that, no matter what happens, we must answer their scores immediately," said Hardiman.
Cork made a number of tactical moves that led to improvement in the second half. Galway's defence could be accused of some slack marking and Kieran Murphy batted a good pass from O'Leary to the net six minutes into the second half.
That well-worked goal, the move was started by Graham Calnan, shot Cork ahead 3-6 to 1-11. Green soon redressed that particular situation with a neat point. It was that sort of see-saw match. Farragher answered an O hAilpin point and they were level again.
The exciting trend led up to what seemed imminent disaster for Galway; Eamonn Collins had just restored Cork's lead with a great point when a penalty was awarded after Kieran Murphy went down. Collins took the shot which was parried forward by Aidan Diviney only for Murphy to slip the ball to the net.
Cork had created a four-point gap, their widest of the day. Manager John Considine afterwards confessed: "It wasn't great for there were 13 minutes remaining." Prophetic words indeed, for Galway made hay from that point to the end.
A procession of scores flowed off the sticks of David Green, Farragher, star defender Cullinane, super-sub JP O'Connell and Hayes.
Cork's reply was inadequate, wides did not help, and substitute Stephen O'Sullivan was left with the task of lobbing a free hoping for a goal to square the match at the death, but, alas his effort went wide.
Cork manager Considine summed up. "Our lads hurled themselves to a stand-still all year, but on the day we were beaten by a better team.
"The Galway lads were running here, there and everywhere, they won a lot of possession and its hard to combat that."
Galway: A Diviney; B O'Mahoney, T Regan, N Corcoran; S Kavanagh, A Diviney, A Cullinane (0-1); G Farragher (0-8, five frees and a sideline), B Coen; R Murray (0-2), P Garvey, K Brady; D Hayes (0-3), T Kavanagh (0-1), D Greene (2-2). Subs: F Moore for Corcoran (37 mins); J Gantly for Brady (14); JP O'Connell (0-2) for Gantly (42); Brady for Garvey (58).
Cork: K Murphy; C Sullivan, J O'Brien, B Murphy; J O'Neill, P Tierney, G Calnan; M O'Connor (0-2, one free), B Carey; G McLoughlin, C Brosnan (0-1), T O'Leary (1-0); S O hAilpin (1-1), E Collins (0-1), K Murphy (2-4, four points frees). Subs: D Cashman for McLoughlin (27 mins); F Foley for Brosnan (half-time); S O'Sullivan (0-1) for B Carey (52); R McCarthy for Calnan (59).
Referee: B Kelly (Westmeath).
