Galway 1-17 Tipperary 1-18And from the west came the forgotten men. Tipperary, whose stock plummeted as quickly as the furnace started in the deepest south in May, are to have their say in this year's All-Ireland championship.
Yesterday, they came through their most important assignment under Michael Doyle. This was supposed to be Galway's graduation day, the day when Pearse Stadium was announced as the new home of maroon hurling. By evening tide in Salthill, however the home discussions were filled with the familiar references to learning and of small consolations.
Tipperary were brave enough to take the stride forward and were so rewarded for their efforts. They were almost caught at the close of the game with a sudden scoring spurt of 1-3 from Galway in added time. It was a burst of life that came completely out of the blue and must leave afficionados of their game in an even greater state of confusion.
The scare should stand to Tipperary, who would not have deserved anything other than a win. After the bruising they took against Clare and the verbal recriminations that followed, this was a restorative afternoon for Tipperary hurling.
On a day when Eoin Kelly was not a factor and of no joy for Denis Byrne, the changeling from Mullinhone, there was plenty of good news. Eamonn Corcoran returned from his long exile with little apparent bluntness and the slender figure of Tommy Dunne adapted well to his new home at centre half back.
Paul Curran at full back did much to soothe the many who are still fretting the injury to Philly Maher, Lar Corbett enhanced the enigma with a selection of juicy scores and most importantly, big John Carroll responded to being dropped in the manner that all manager's dream about.
Big John has the frame of Muhammad Ali and the grace to match. His appearance after half-time totally altered this match.
In the first 35 minutes, Galway's half back line had settled nicely, with Tony Regan impressing as he had against Clare a month ago.
Carroll's presence on the wing caused immediate bother for the diminutive Fergal Healy and inside 10 minutes he had caused undue damage. On 45 minutes, he saved a drifting Brendan Cummin's puc-out flush on the sideline, turned deftly and released a flat handpass for the on-rushing Benny Dunne.
A nominal defender the other Dunne may be but he has not forgotten how to finish. His snapped diagonal shot broke what had been a tense game open. Up 1-13 to 0-13, Tipperary made the most of the daylight.
Carroll stole into open ground to accept a ball from Paul Kelly and duly pointed. Two minutes later, Brian O'Meara fired a lovely point as he ran at speed along the hard shoulder of the right flank.
Just like that, Galway's worst fears were materialising. Down 1-15 to 0-13 and staring down the barrell of a gun, they reacted, shuffling the half back line and throwing on Alan Kerins. It was too late.
As has become common in recent seasons, Galway became afflicted with that strange malaise of theirs that seems to border the soulless.
After hurling reasonably well for the first 35 minutes, the team just flatlined over 15 minutes of pure listlessness. Instead of reaching the finale that might have been hoped for, all life just quietly left the game. Tipperary did not even have to shine in those crucial moments. They merely bade their time.
Ollie Canning was the sole exception. His defensive performance on Eoin Kelly was a master class and ought to have inspired those around him. Kelly may have had an off-day anyway, he was substituted after just over on hour of play, but Canning confirmed that his corner of the field is a graveyard for glittering reputations. After 38 minutes, he tapped into his former life as a forward, bursting out of defence to float over a glorious point.
That left Galway 0-13 to 0-11 ahead and as he punched the humid air on his way back, Pearse Stadium came alive. Just when it seemed to be set up for them, Galway imploded. Tipperary rose to a gallop and the fight left the home team. Mark Kerins, so feisty against Clare, got no change from Tommy Dunne.
Rory Gantley hurled with intent for 20 minutes and then drifted out of things.
Damien Hayes and Kevin Broderick, Galway's speed merchants, won enough ball but repeatedly ran down cul-de-sacs that were filled with Tipperary men.
The visitors were happy with direct clearances and to tap over points when the opportunity presented itself. It did not matter that Tipperary managed only three points over the last 20 minutes of hurling - although they will not survive on such a tame closing argument again.
Galway only awoke when the coffin lid slammed shut. A pull on a dropping ball led to a soft goal in injury-time and then the home team were all urgency and skill. Tipp looked slightly bewildered as their opponents, full of zest, made a comfortable lead vanish. Eugene Cloonan was dispatched late on to thief a goal but the ball never came his way.
It was a strange close to a game that was more open and gentle than could have been imagined. Both teams contributed some pretty scores over the first half but it was as if they were shadow boxing.
Even when Galway opened up a 0-10 to 0-6 lead after 27 minutes, there was the sense that the real contest lay further down the line. Tipperary duly responded and trailed by just a single score at the break.
TIPPERARY:B Cummins; T Costello, P Curran, M Maher; E Corcoran, T Dunne, P Kelly (0-1); E Enright (0-1), B Dunne(1-1); M O'Leary (0-3), C Gleeson (0-1), B O'Meara (0-2); E Kelly (0-2, frees), D Byrne, L Corbett (0-4). Subs: J Carroll for (0-2) for Byrne (half-time), D Kennedy for Costello (half-time), G O'Grady (0-1) for E Kelly (63 mins).
GALWAY: L Donoghue; D Joyce, L Hodgins, O Canning (0-1); F Healy, T Óg Regan, D O'Brien; J Conroy, R Murray (0-1); R Gantley (0-7, five frees), M Kerins, D Tierney (0-2); D Hayes (1-1), O Fahy (0-1), K Broderick (0-2). Subs: A Kerins (0-2) for J Conroy (47 mins), D Cloonan for O'Brien (49 mins), D Forde for Kerins (51 mins), E Cloonan for Murray (65 mins).
Referee: D Murphy (Wexford).
