Joe Canning following the game at Semple Stadium.
All Ireland SHC Quarter-Final
Galway 2-17 Clare 0-17
By Jackie Cahill at Semple Stadium
A personal haul of 1-8 from Joe Canning helped fire Galway into the All-Ireland senior hurling championship semi-finals.
The Tribesmen saw off neighbours Clare at Semple Stadium – with goals in either half from Conor Cooney and Canning proving the difference.
Galway will now face Tipperary in a semi-final match on August 14 – a repeat of the 2015 last four clash between the counties.
In front of 31,690 spectators at Semple Stadium, a highly-motivated Galway had all the answers as Clare crashed out.
Clare boss Davy Fitzgerald was well enough to take his place on the touchline, but this was a below-par performance from his charges, who were outgunned by Galway.
The Tribesmen were obviously keen to atone for their Leinster final defeat to Kilkenny and they did so in style to march on.
At half-time, wind-assisted Galway had built up a seven-point lead to protect, leading by 1-10 to 0-6.
The goal was a tonic in the 15th minute, as Conor Cooney drilled a shot past Andrew Fahy at the Clare goalkeeper’s near post.
That score established a 1-4 to 0-3 lead for Galway and they went on to lead by eight approaching the break, before Clare hit the final score of the half from Tony Kelly.
Clare were struggling for inspiration up front and from the 16th minute to the first minute of stoppage time, when Kelly struck, they went without a score from play.
Colm Galvin has a shot blocked down by Adrian Tuohy.
Clare managed just three points from play in the first half, two from the impressive Colm Galvin, as Galway dominated for the most part.
During Clare’s worst spell of the half, Kelly drove a 20 metre free wide and the Ballyea wizard was also denied a potential goal by Adrian Tuohy, who made up the ground to execute a brilliant hook.
Galway opened the second half as Canning netted 11 seconds after the restart and now the Westerners had a 10-point lead to protect.
Clare did rally to within five points – 0-13 to 2-12 – but Cyril Donnellan’s point, given by HawkEye, steadied Galway nerves in the 58th minute.
Clare were four points down, 0-15 to 2-13, with 10 minutes left when Colin Ryan slotted over a free, but Galway held firm at the back to repel their opponents and preserve a ‘clean sheet’ into the bargain.
Colm Callanan’s 42nd-minute save to deny Aaron Shanagher was one of many highlights from a Galway perspective as Fitzgerald suffered his first quarter-final defeat to today’s opponents, following victories as Waterford boss in 2009 and 2011, and with Clare three years ago.
Galvin finished with five points from play for Clare and Kelly added seven points, including six frees, but despite finishing with 15 wides, Galway still had more than enough in the tank to advance.
Scorers for Galway: J Canning 1-8 (6fs, 265s), C Cooney 1-0, D Burke 0-3, J Cooney 0-2, P Mannion, A Harte, C Mannion & C Donnellan 0-1 each.
Scorers for Clare: T Kelly 0-7 (6fs), C Galvin 0-5, C McGrath & C Ryan (2f) 0-2 each, D McInerney 0-1.
Galway: C Callanan; J Coen, J Hanbury, P Mannion; G McInerney, Daithí Burke, A Harte; David Burke, A Tuohy; J Flynn, J Canning, C Mannion; C Whelan, J Cooney, C Cooney.
Subs: C Donnellan for C Cooney (47), D Glennon for Flynn (53), F Moore for Coen (60), A Smith for Whelan (67), Shane Maloney for J Cooney (70+3).
Clare: A Fahy; O O’Brien, C Dillon, P O’Connor; B Bugler, D McInerney, J Browne; C Cleary, D Reidy; C Galvin, T Kelly, J Conlon; P Collins, S O’Donnell, A Shanagher.
Subs: D Fitzgerald for Bugler (42), C McGrath for Collins (49), A Cunningham for Shanagher (52), C Ryan for Reidy (55).
Referee: B Gavin (Offaly).
