A strong closing ten minutes in a rollercoaster encounter saw Tipperary come from two points behind to edge Galway out by the minimum in their All-Ireland quarter-final.
Aonghus Callinan’s 61st minute point had put Galway 3-16 to 3-14 ahead, completing a comeback of their own after they had fallen 3-13 to 2-12 behind earlier in the half thanks to a 1-1 burst from Tipp half forward Gearoid Ryan.
Galway had seemingly put themselves in prime position to win the game but they failed to score again in the last fourteen minutes of remaining play, in which time John O’Brien closed the gap and Ryan slotted the equaliser. Ger Farragher, who had shot 0-2 from distance earlier in the game, shanked a long range effort wide for stuttering Galway before a knifing run and layoff by Tipp’s Pa Bourke set up Lar Corbett. The forward was swamped by defenders but showed balletic footwork to wheel in a tight circle and split the posts with his shot for a dramatic winner in a game that neither side truly deserved to lose.
It left Galway in anguish, another season in ashes, although they cannot be accused of losing due to major failings as they have done in the past. There was never much between the sides in a game that ebbed and flowed, even though it will be of little consolation to the Tribesmen that they played a full part in an epic contest.
From the moment Eanna Ryan raced clear in the 10th minute and grabbed a great goal to make it 0-4 to 1-1, it was odds on to be a classic. Eoin Kelly then hit the net at the other end ten minutes later to put Tipp 1-6 to 1-3 up, which was merely the signal for six unanswered points by Galway – any time one side looked like pulling clear, the other responded. A monster score from Ger Farragher was the highlight in putting his side 1-9 to 1-6 ahead. However, a goal from Brendan Maher deep in injury time saw Tipp enjoy a 2-8 to 1-9 lead at the interval.
The close nature of the exchanges persisted in the second half, Damien Hayes capitalising on a fumble by Paul Curran to pinch an early goal and level it up again before Ryan’s aforementioned 1-1 burst put the Munster side back in control. It was Joe Canning’s penalty that proved the catalyst for the next big swing in fortunes and when Aonghus Callinan split the posts with nine minutes left, the smart money was on Galway.
But there was time for one more turnaround, and when the music finally stopped, it was Tipp that were holding the prize of a mouth-watering clash with Waterford in the semi-final. Final score Tipperary 3-17, Galway 3-16.