by Jackie Cahill

Tipperary 5-22
Galway 0-12

Tipperary demolished Galway by 25 points at Semple Stadium this evening to clinch the Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland U21 hurling title for the first time since 1995.

Tipp's 9th success at this grade crowned a superb six days for the county following on from last Sunday's senior success against Kilkenny.

Galway were desperately unhappy with the choice of venue for last night's floodlit encounter in Thurles and completely capitulated after half-time as Tipp ran riot and finished with no fewer than eleven different scorers.

And Galway's misery was complete six minutes from time when centre forward Niall Quinn was sent off for a high challenge on Tipperary captain Pádraic Maher.

21,110 spectators witnessed an exhibition from Tipperary - who completed an U21/senior All-Ireland hurling double for the first time since 1989.

At half-time Tipperary led by 3-7 to 0-9 against a Galway side who hit nine first half wides.

The opening two scores of the game were both Tipperary goals as the Premier County looked for a fast start in front of home fans still basking in the glory of last Sunday's senior success.

Tipp, starting with six of the players who featured against Kilkenny in the senior decider, scored their first goal after just 29 seconds.

Towering full-forward Brian O'Meara collected John O'Dwyer's high ball and smashed a shot into the top corner.

Two minutes later, Galway goalkeeper Kris Finnegan was picking the ball out of his net again and this time it was a role reversal as O'Meara set up O'Dwyer for Tipp's second goal.

Galway were desperately slow to settle and by the 15th minute, they found themselves eleven points behind.

Patrick Maher and Sean Carey combined brilliantly before Carey, a Tipp senior footballer who won Munster U21 medals at both grades this year, buried a low shot into the corner.

O'Dwyer's point stretched the gap to twelve points before Galway, hit four unanswered points to undo some of the earlier damage.

Galway sub Joseph Cooney, son of Tribes legend Joe, was on the pitch just two minutes when he forced Tipperary goalkeeper James Logue into a great save five minutes before half-time.

Another mini scoring burst from Galway, which yielded three points without reply, kept the Westerners clinging onto Tipperary coat-tails at the midway point.

Logue was bright in the second half with a couple of smart saves, while Gerard Kelly struck the Tipperary crossbar as Galway's luck was out.

And any faint hopes of a Galway revival were extinguished eleven minutes after half-time when Patrick Maher banged home Tipperary's fourth goal of the night.

Noel McGrath rubbed salt into the wounds twelve minutes from time when his long range free deceived Finnegan and ended up in the back of the net.

Tipperary - J Logue; K O'Gorman, Pádraic Maher, M Cahill; J Barry, B Maher (0-1f), C Hough; S Hennessy (0-3, 1f, 1 65), N McGrath (1-3, 1-0f); S Carey (1-3), P Murphy (0-2), Patrick Maher (1-0); J O'Dwyer (1-3), B O'Meara (1-3, 0-1f), M Heffernan (0-2). Subs: C Coughlan for O'Gorman (44), J O'Neill (0-1) for O'Dwyer (52), A Ryan for Murphy (52), J Gallagher for McGrath (55), K Morris (0-1f) for Heffernan (56).

Galway - K Finnegan; D Connolly, P Gordan, G O'Halloran; N Donoghue, D Burke (0-2f), S Óg Linnane; J Coen (0-2), B Daly (0-1); J Regan (0-1), N Quinn (0-1), E Forde; R Cummins, G Burke (0-1), G Kelly (0-1). Subs: J Cooney (0-1) for Forde (23), B Burke (0-1) for G Burke (26), J Grealish (0-1) for Linnane (41), D Glennon for Cummins (44), B Flaherty for Gordan (51).

Referee: J McGrath (Westmeath). Tweet

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