WALSH CUP: Galway 1-17 Offaly 2-10GALWAY'S FIRST competitive foray into Leinster hurling proved successful as John McIntyre's team survived Offaly's wind-assisted recovery in the second half at O'Connor Park, Tullamore, yesterday.
If the prize of a Walsh Cup semi-final greatly cheered new manager John McIntyre, he kept the sentiment well hidden as he aimed a few seasonal broadsides at the pre-season competitions and the experimental rules.
Conditions were wretched and heavy rain ensured the pitch soon deteriorated. However, the skill level was quite good in the opening quarter considering teams are just back in training.
McIntyre was unhappy at the decision to press ahead with the fixture. “There seems to be this ‘we have to get the games played’ (attitude) regardless of conditions, regardless of what the fields are like and regardless of players’ safety being compromised. That’s something the GAA are going to have to look at. Maybe competitions like the O’Byrne Cup, the Walsh Cup should be discarded in favour of having a clear run for teams to prepare properly for the National League.”
Galway started well with the aid of a strong wind and by the 13th minute led 1-6 to 0-1. Niall Healy fed Aonghus Callanan, who drilled the ball past James Dempsey in the ninth minute. The scoreboard was also kept clicking by Ger Farragher’s faultless conversion of placed ball opportunities.
Two things helped Offaly. Firstly Galway’s radar began to malfunction and in the 15 minutes between their ninth and 10th points, six successive wides were hit. Secondly the home team conjured up a couple of scores to keep the match within range.
Corner forward Joe Bergin turned Adrian Cullinane in the 13th minute and raced clear before angling the ball neatly beyond the goalkeeper. Cullinane was switched with Fergal Moore in the other corner but coughed up another goal in the second half before being moved to his more comfortable surrounds at wing back where he played quite well and even managed to get a point in atonement.
Offaly were ill served by fortune in the matter of the yellow cards, losing two full backs. Starting number three David Kenny was sent to the line in the 17th minute for two tickings and his replacement, wing back Ger Oakley, suffered the same fate when judged to have tripped before half-time.
“They’re a joke, to be honest,” said Offaly manager Joe Dooley about the experimental rules. “I’d say they’re designed for football. Terrible – to lose Ger Oakley and David Kenny without even a bad stroke. It ruined the game for spectators, people who pay good money to come in here today and see that going on.”
McIntyre was even more forceful in his opinions. “They were hit. I know David Kenny and Ger Oakley very well and two more honourable, honest players you couldn’t get. From where I was there was an injustice on both occasions. I don’t blame the referee today. I blame the legislators. There’s people up in Croke Park trying to justify their existence coming up with these rules. Maybe it’s a football problem. None of those tackles should have got a yellow card and our man Cyril Donnellan shouldn’t have either.
“These guys are working like dogs on the training ground. They put a foot out of place or a hurl out of place and are forced to watch the rest of the match through no fault of their own. It is not good enough. We all know hurling is a man’s game and the way things are going some of our players were nearly afraid to tackle by the end of the game. That’s something no one wants to see happen. Hurling should not be penalised for football’s problems.”
Trailing 1-3 to 1-10, Offaly made a match of it after half-time and Shane Dooley was sharply on to Cullinane’s fumble to crack in a goal that cut the margin to three in the 48th minute, 2-7 to 1-13. With the wind behind them, their big forwards presented inviting targets and Galway’s defence, with Ger Mahon in excellent form, had to work hard at containment.
With more space the Galway attack sniped well and unlike in the first half were accurate, registering no wides – as was the case with Offaly although their propensity to drop ball short was costly.
Brian Carroll hit a fourth free to get the margin down to two but Galway shut out the match with two points in remaining time.
GALWAY: C Callanan; A Cullinane (0-1), D McClearn, F Moore; A Coen (0-1), S Kavanagh, G Mahon; E Forde (0-1), D Tierney; J Gantley (0-1), C Donnellan (0-1), P Killilea; G Farragher (0-7, six frees), N Healy (0-2), A Callanan (1-2). Subs: F Healy for Donnellan (yellow card; 27 mins), K Hynes (0-1) for Killilea (49 mins), R Murray for Gantley (57 mins), K Huban for Forde (69).
OFFALY: J Dempsey; D Franks, D Kenny, M Verney; J Rigney, P Cleary, G Oakley; B Murphy (0-1), C Mahon (0-1); B Carroll (0-4, three frees), J Brady (0-1), D Molloy (0-1); S Dooley (1-1), C Horan, J Bergin (1-1). Subs: R Hanniffy for Kenny (yellow card; 17 mins), B O'Meara for Oakley (yellow card; 35 mins), J Gorman for Mahon (45 mins), M Egan for Horan, C Parlon for S Dooley (both 70 mins).
Referee: A Stapleton (Laois).
