NATIONAL HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION ONE FINAL/Tipperary 3-18 Galway 3-16: YESTERDAY'S NHL Division One final suddenly went off without warning in Limerick. The effect was that of someone dropping a match in a firework factory and, although the game in general had been lively enough, the last 10 minutes were a sequence of flashing lights and crashing noise.
It's not altogether clear that either side enhanced their championship credentials, given the problems each experienced at various stages but despite a low attendance figure of 16,365 this was a great afternoon's entertainment.
Tipperary won but that was the destination of the match rather than its full itinerary. In an afternoon of paradox, the lauded Tipp defence conceded a rather large score and the attack, still haunted by dependence on Eoin Kelly, managed 2-8 from play. Tipp had reason to thank the combined work of Lar Corbett, Séamus Butler and Wille Ryan in the second half while their prolific captain was well marked by Fergal Moore and held scoreless, after dominating his team's scoring returns in the first half.
Galway were frustrated in all senses. Having dominated much of the first half they were unable to put a convert their superiority on the scoreboard and, drip-fed by frees, Tipp kept in touch and took their chances to turn around proceedings.
Once Galway relinquished the lead in the 33rd minute they never got it back. Goals change matches and, even if Galway managed to retrieve the damage, with each concession the match continued to bob away just beyond their reach.
The first goal pushed Tipperary ahead at the end of the first half. Benny Dunne galloped down the left wing and fired in a speculative shot that Galway goalkeeper James Skehill went to block and clear but instead lost it on the bounce for the sliotar to run straight into the net and push Liam Sheedy's side 1-7 to 0-8 ahead.
Kelly was chopped while shooting wide and although he shaped up for goal from the resulting 20-metre free, satisfied himself with a point to put Tipp a goal ahead.
Within a minute, however, Joe Canning had hustled through the middle of covering defenders to stab a ball into space just in front of goal and Fergal Healy poked his shot into the net. Lar Corbett gave Tipp the lead just before the break and it was a poor return for a Galway side that had played with the wind.
The elements were part of the problem. Having decided to play quick, early ball into the forwards, Galway ended up thrashing a succession of possession blindly up the field in the apparent hope that this might of itself open up Tipperary's defence.
Galway's half backs were in imperious mood, with John Lee formidable both in holding the middle as well as winning and clearing ball.
Joe Canning, after his striking senior debut the previous week, was ill-served by the imprecise supply, which frequently seemed designed to play to his least conspicuous playing strength - mobility and pace.
Paul Curran coped well in what contests developed but for all the low-key nature of Canning's first half, he managed to set up the first goal with his strength and perseverance and in the second half he stepped up his contribution.
The most menacing contribution came from his Portumna colleague Damien Hayes, who was switched to the wing before the start and roasted Eamonn Corcoran (who admittedly was hampered by injury for the second quarter) for four points from play.
At centrefield, Tipperary's in-form Shane McGrath started well, tidying up ball and making some adventurous moves but direct opponent Kevin Hynes played the simplest and most direct game, moving the ball quickly and more perceptively than most of his team-mates.
Apart from one enormous point launched 90 metres out, Richie Murray didn't impact and was replaced at half-time.
The hope for Galway at the break must have been that they could be more constructive playing against the wind.
Instead they shipped early scores. Corbett, a malfunctioning first half behind him and giving an indication of the torment Tony Regan would suffer in the second half, got a nice touch on the ball for Ryan to race in and notch Tipp's second goal for a 2-10 to 1-8 lead in the 38th minute.
Again Galway responded and again Canning was involved, winning a long ball from Conor Dervan and picking out the incoming Hayes whose run in on goal created the chance for replacement Aongus Callanan to finish to the net. Brendan Cummins had to save smartly from Hayes two minutes later and throughout an evenly contested phase Tipp stayed marginally ahead.
For most, the real turning point came in the seconds between the 59th and 60th minutes. Firstly Hayes cut through the middle of the defence and over-hit a pass to Callanan with a likely goal on the cards. From the restart Corbett got past the Galway defence and batted the ball past Skehill.
In the three minutes that followed Hayes's wide, Galway swallowed 1-3 and effectively the match looked settled.
But Galway wouldn't let go and in the 64th minute Canning scored the best of the afternoon's six goals, finishing a powerful surging run, past and through the opposing defenders, by stretching for a decisive contact on the ball to cut the margin to four, 3-16 to 3-12. At the other end Butler maintained his fluorescent second-half form by hitting points five and six in the closing minutes while Galway threw everything at their chance of retrieving the match and forcing extra-time.
The margin, however, never got below a single point. Hayes went for goal at 3-15 to 3-17 but was blocked and if Hynes hit a point from the clearance, Butler had the last word in injury-time.
GALWAY: J Skehill (0-1, free); C Dervan, T Regan, F Moore; S Kavanagh, J Lee, A Cullinane; K Hynes (0-3), R Murray (0-1); G Farragher (0-1, 65), F Healy (1-0), N Healy; D Hayes (0-4), I Tannian, J Canning (1-6, five points frees). Subs: A Kerins for N Healy (31 mins), D Forde for Murray (half-time), A Callanan (1-0) for Farragher (half-time), K Wade for Tannian (63 mins).
TIPPERARY: B Cummins; E Buckley, P Curran, C O'Brien; E Corcoran, C O'Mahony, S Maher; B Dunne (1-0), S McGrath (0-1); S Butler (0-6), R O'Dwyer, J Woodlock; E Kelly (0-7, five frees), L Corbett (1-3), W Ryan (1-1). Subs: S Callinan for O'Dwyer (55 mins), J O'Brien for Dunne (59 mins), A Byrne for Corcoran (63 mins), D Egan for Ryan (70 mins).
Referee: Barry Kelly (Westmeath).
