Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland U-21 Hurling semi-final

TIPPERARY 3-17 GALWAY 1-17

By Daragh Small at the Gaelic Grounds

Tipperary, looking for their first Bord Gáis All-Ireland U-21 title since 2010, advanced to a final showdown with Cork after seeing off the Galway challenge at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick.

It was a redemptive victory for the Premier County who had been beaten by 13 points in a one-sided Munster Final and came into this match with a lot to prove.

They led from start to finish in a full-blooded match that saw two Galway players and one Tipperary player red-carded.

Tipperary led by ten points at the interval, having finished the opening half in devastating form after playing with the breeze.

The Premier County held an edge throughout the opening half but Galway managed to stay in touch until the closing four minutes despite shooting nine wides.

Tipperary then pulled away approaching the break and Galway’s battle to join their seniors and minors in the All-Ireland final suffered a further blow when Brian Concannon was red-carded.

Tipperary, bidding to bounce back after their heavy Munster final defeat to Cork, started well but Evan Niland kept Galway in touch with four frees.

Senior panellist Concannon pointed after an intercept as Tipperary’s lead was cut to 0-9 to 0-7 after 23 minutes.

But Tipperary took over from there and outscored Galway by 2-03 to 0-02 in the closing seven minutes of the half with Jake Morris superb in attack throughout.

Mark Kehoe fired home Tipperary’s opening goal after a superb run by Ger Browne after 26 minutes, with Colin English following quickly with a point and Morris landing another free after he himself was fouled.

Concannon pulled back another point for Galway and Morris cancelled it with a free just before the Tribesmen were reduced to 14 men.

Tipperary pushed on from there and finished the opening half in devastating form with Morris blasting a rebound to the net after Galway goalkeeper Eanna Murphy did well to save from Kehoe.

The sides exchanged points twice in the early stages of the second-half before goalscorer Kehoe was red-carded.

Galway got back in contention when a long delivery from Jack Grealish ended up in the Tipperary net when sub Jack Canning put full-back Brian McGrath under pressure.

That cut the margin to 2-16 to 1-15 with eleven minutes left but while Tomas Monaghan, who hit three second-half points, did most to lift the Tribesmen they couldn’t get closer.

Morris pushed the gap out to four in the closing stages before Galway’s Cian Salmon was sent off.

Points from Niland and Monaghan cut the margin to three in stoppage time but senior player Browne made the game safe with a fine goal in the dying moments.

Scorers for Tipperary: Jake Morris 1-9 (0-6f), Ger Browne 1-2, Mark Kehoe 1-1, Cian Darcy 0-2, Robert Byrne 0-1, Colin English 0-1, Dillon Quirke 0-1.

Scorers for Galway: Evan Niland 0-6 (0-6f), Jack Grealish 1-0, Tom Monaghan 0-3, Brian Concannon 0-2, Sean Loftus 0-2, Seán Bleahene 0-1, Andrew Greaney 0-1, Cian Salmon 0-1, Jack Coyne 0-1.

TIPPERARY: Barry Hogan; Eoghan Connolly, Brian McGrath, Killian O’Dwyer; Podge Campion, Robert Byrne, Dillon Quirke; Ger Browne, Stephen Nolan; Colin English, Jerome Cahill, Paudie Feehan; Jake Morris, Mark Kehoe, Cian Darcy. Substitutes: Conor Stakelum for Nolan (47), Paddy Cadell for Connolly (49), David Gleeson for Darcy (54), Ray McCormack for English (60).

GALWAY: Eanna Murphy; Shane Bannon, Jack Fitzpatrick, Ian O’Shea; Fintan Burke, Andrew Greaney, Jack Grealish; Sean Loftus, Thomas Monaghan; Cianan Fahy, Patrick Foley, Brian Concannon; Kevin Cooney, Seán Bleahene, Evan Niland. Substitutes: Cian Salmon for Foley (half-time), Darren Morrissey for O’Shea (half-time), Jack Coyne for Cooney (39), Darragh Gilligan for Murphy (42), Jack Canning for Bleahene (45).

Referee: Sean Cleere (Kilkenny).