Hurling Semi Finals

[GaillimhIarthair]

Nightmare final in store.

Hurling Is Great™

Don't be a dick. Hurling is great. Tipp did their best to throw it away with the wides, but they'll be delighted to get through a tough game and not playing very well.

They played as well as they were let play - GalwY should have won that, the 2 injuries before HT and especially JC were crucial.

[From the Bunker]

Kilkenny beat Waterford and Galway to get to the final.
Tipperary beat Waterford and Galway to get to the final.

[manfromdelmonte]

Galway defence was poor at the start throughout - so many aimless passes out of the defence.

[GaillimhIarthair]

Galway defence was poor at the start throughout - so many aimless passes out of the defence.

I thought the defence were pretty decent to be honest.  The failure of a few forwards to win primary possession was more of an issue as the game played out. 

[ashman]

Galway defence was poor at the start throughout - so many aimless passes out of the defence.

The Galway midfield was all at sea for first fifteen minutes .  Thought after that Galway were far better and should have won .  It Galway folk were told this morning that seam us callinan would be held they would have expected to win . 

Today's game was not as good as last nights imho .

[AZOffaly]

I don't see how Galway "should" have won. I can see they "could" have won but to me it was a game that both sides dominated at different times. Tipp hit some woeful, unusual wides but Galway had chances too. Galway mopped up around the middle for long periods but then Tipp did the same and Tipps defence was well on top for long stretches of the second half.

A game between two well matched sides that either could have won and Tipp just about held on despite criminal shooting in the last 5 minutes.

That's a good Galway team and I think its a good Tipp team too. I think they'll give Kilkenny their fill of it.

[galwayman]

Don't think Galway can have any complaints with the result to be honest.
Could have gone either way but Tipp grabbed it in the crucial last 10 minutes when it was there for the taking.
I knew Callanan would be quietened if they put Daithi Burke on him.
A real warrior.

I have a feeling Tipp will win the final now.

[galwayman]

I don't see how Galway "should" have won. I can see they "could" have won but to me it was a game that both sides dominated at different times. Tipp hit some woeful, unusual wides but Galway had chances too. Galway mopped up around the middle for long periods but then Tipp did the same and Tipps defence was well on top for long stretches of the second half.

A game between two well matched sides that either could have won and Tipp just about held on despite criminal shooting in the last 5 minutes.

That's a good Galway team and I think its a good Tipp team too. I think they'll give Kilkenny their fill of it.

+1 a good summation I think Az

[GalwayBayBoy]

Galway defence was poor at the start throughout - so many aimless passes out of the defence.

I thought the defence were pretty decent to be honest.  The failure of a few forwards to win primary possession was more of an issue as the game played out.

Thought the Galway backs were on top of their men generally. Just made two mistakes for the two Tipp goals. First was Hanbury getting out in front of his man but then completely missing the ball. Allowed Tipp in behind us for the first time in the entire game. Then for the second goal too many defenders were drawn towards Callanan and he could handpass the ball to a free man running in on goal. For long spells Tipp were really surviving on frees and points from their midfielders.

Galway backs have been very good this year. If anything the forwards have misfired compared to last year. Flynn, Mannion and Whelan's form has been up and down. All young men in fairness. Glynn is in the US. Conor Cooney has been good since he came back and Joseph Cooney has been a revelation considering I thought he wouldn't make it as an intercounty hurler.

[GaillimhIarthair]

Galway defence was poor at the start throughout - so many aimless passes out of the defence.

I thought the defence were pretty decent to be honest.  The failure of a few forwards to win primary possession was more of an issue as the game played out.

Thought the Galway backs were on top of their men generally. Just made two mistakes for the two Tipp goals. First was Hanbury getting out in front of his man but then completely missing the ball. Allowed Tipp in behind us for the first time in the entire game. Then for the second goal too many defenders were drawn towards Callanan and he could handpass the ball to a free man running in on goal. For long spells Tipp were really surviving on frees and points from their midfielders.

Galway backs have been very good this year. If anything the forwards have misfired compared to last year. Flynn, Mannion and Whelan's form has been up and down. All young men in fairness. Glynn is in the US. Conor Cooney has been good since he came back and Joseph Cooney has been a revelation considering I thought he wouldn't make it as an intercounty hurler.

Yeah, the first goal looked awful soft, maybe it was well worked but Callinan was beaten from a tight angle from I could see from my spot in the Cusack.  I thought Gearoid Mac and Daithi were excellent through out.  In fairness they are 2 very evenly matched teams and I would expect Tipp to give the Cat a fair rattle in 3 weeks time, could very well win it too.

[Canalman]

Very little between all four teams in the semi finals. Rarely have I enjoyed three games within a  week so much.

Thought there was serious overcarrying of the ball by both sides yesterday. Needed to get away from the tackles flying in  and make space and wonder if time now to increase the number of steps allowed.

All three games hinged on the much quoted "inches" . Credit to all involved.

[Minder]

Very little between all four teams in the semi finals. Rarely have I enjoyed three games within a  week so much.

Thought there was serious overcarrying of the ball by both sides yesterday. Needed to get away from the tackles flying in  and make space and wonder if time now to increase the number of steps allowed.

All three games hinged on the much quoted "inches" . Credit to all involved.

Yeah there was obviously very little between the four teams and I agree about the steps, they need to look at it as the current rule isn't working.Colin Fennelly took close to 10 steps before offloading to Walter Walsh for the goal last week, and in that case he wasn't being held or boxed in.

[AZOffaly]

Sure DJ made an art form of that. He used to take more steps than the winner of the 100m at the f**king olympics.

[johnneycool]

The Galway, Tipp game was a very good game in its own right, the result in doubt up until the last minute with fast, physical, skillfull hurling throughout.

Galway have finally shored up their defence in a big way with Daithi Burke outstanding in the fullback line, completely nullifying Seamus Callanan and it was interesting to hear one of the analysts suggesting that Tipp only got goal side of Galway once Callanan started to drift out the field with Burke following him.
I remember at the time thinking Hanbury had over stretched himself in a attempt to get the ball in front of O'Dwyer who maybe helped him on his way with a nudge, but once he was rounded the goal was on and was well taken with the strike into the ground to avoid the body of the keeper, if only Joe Cooney had shown the same awareness in the first half when in a similar position when hooked by Paudie Maher, Joe jnr had a great game, but like a lot of the Galway half forwards seemed to drift out of the game in the last 10 minutes when the Tipp half back line started to get a lot of time and space on the ball. Granted having to put Coen back into corner back may have taken a bit of the impetus from that area.

What of Tipp?

Their forwards were denied the time and space they had been afforded up until now and struggled for long periods to exert any great threat on the Galway backs, but they did come up with the two goals when needed so kudos to them for that, but Kilkenny will be applying the same if greater pressure in three weeks and some will need to step up along with Bonner Maher who scavenged like a badger yesterday and whilst he doesn't bother the scoreboard operator much is central to this Tipp forward divisions operation. They still lack primary ball winners in the air which has been their Achilles heel and one of the few clean catches made resulted in a goal for them, something they need to improve upon if they're to get goals against Kilkenny.

With Mick Fennelly possibly out of the final, that's a big loss to the cats as he was having a stormer when the ankle went and could be a big loss to them.

[Minder]

Mick Fennelly ruptured Achilles' tendon