Hello and welcome to Croke Park for the All-Ireland SHC semi-final between Tipperary and Galway. The sides are in the parade and we’re moments away from throw-in.
Who do you fancy to win it?
Here’s how the teams line out:
Tipperary
1. Darren Gleeson – Portroe
2. Cathal Barrett – Holycross-Ballycahill
3. James Barry – Upperchurch-Drombane
4. Michael Cahill – Thurles Sarsfields
5. Seamus Kennedy – St. Mary’s
6. Ronan Maher – Thurles Sarsfields
7. Padraic Maher – Thurles Sarsfields
8. Brendan Maher (Capt.) – Borris-Ileigh
9. Michael Breen – Ballina
10. Dan McCormack – Borris-Ileigh
11. Patrick Maher – Lorrha-Dorrha
12. Noel McGrath – Loughmore-Castleiney
13. John McGrath – Loughmore-Castleiney
14. Seamus Callanan – Drom & Inch
15. Niall O’Meara – Kilruane MacDonaghs
Galway
1. Colm Callanan — Kinvara
2. Johnny Coen — Loughrea
3. John Hanbury — Rahoon-Newcastle
4. Padraic Mannion — Ahascragh-Fohenagh
5. Gearóid McInerney — Oranmore-Maree
6. Daithí Burke — Turloughmore
7. Aidan Harte — Gort
8. David Burke — St Thomas’
9. Adrian Tuohy — Beagh
10. Conor Cooney — St Thomas’
11. Joseph Cooney — Sarsfields
12.Joe Canning — Portumna
13. Conor Whelan — Kinvara
14. Cathal Mannion — Ahascragh-Fohenagh
15. Jason Flynn — Tommy Larkin’s
2 mins – Tipperary 0-1 Galway 0-1
Joe Canning with a brilliant opening score for Galway. Noel McGrath levels for Tipp.
CHANCE! Joe Canning had a hint of a goal opportunity but his shot is saved by Darren Gleeson. Then he flicks the ball over the head of a Galway forward and clears.
9mins – Tipperary 0-4 Galway 1-3
Conor Cooney hits the net to leave Galway in control! He adds a point minutes later. At the other end Noel McGrath hits the crossbar!
13 mins – Tipperary 0-7 Galway 1-3
Callanan’s shooting is on point today. He adds another free to put Tipp in front.
13 mins – Tipperary 0-8 Galway 1-3
Noel McGrath drills over a fine point from long range. Tipperary have responded well to that Galway goal.
14 mins – Tipperary 0-9 Galway 1-3
John McGrath gets his name on the score-sheet.
16 mins – Tipperary 0-9 Galway 1-4
Canning nails a close-range free. Galway needed that.
19 mins – Tipperary 0-9 Galway 1-5
Callanan puts a free wide from inside his own half. He then signals over to the line for a new pair of boots. Meanwhile Canning scores a free.
22 mins – Tipperary 0-9 Galway 1-6
Tipp conceded a couple of frees and a 65 to let Galway back into it. Canning has applies the afters to those three placed balls.
Canning gets nailed underneath the Hogan Stand by Padraic Maher and Tipp are awarded the line ball. Maher is replaced by Tomas Hamill while Canning is replaced by Andrew Smith. Both are blood subs.
25 mins – Tipperary 0-9 Galway 1-7
Galway lead again thanks to an inspriational point from Galway captain Daithi Burke.
26 mins – Tipperary 0-9 Galway 1-8
Joseph Cooney strokes a wonder score over his shoulder while Canning returns to the field to a huge ovation by the Galway support.
29 mins – Tipperary 0-9 Galway 1-9
James Barry concedes a harsh free, allowing Canning to convert the free. Galway are three in front.
Tipperary are conceding way too many cheap frees. Canning will score them all day.
32 mins – Tipperary 0-10 Galway 1-9
Outstanding hook by Cathal Barrett on Conor Cooney when a goal beckoned for Galway.
Half-time: Tipperary 0-11 Galway 1-10
Joe Canning looks in big trouble with a leg injury. It’s extremely unlikely he’ll return for the second half.
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Two half-time subs for Galway. Cyril Donnellan is in for Canning and Adrian Touhey is replaced by Andrew Smith.
41 mins – Tipperary 0-15 Galway 1-11
Colm Callanan makes a brilliant save from John McGrath’s close-range shot on goal. Callanan converts the 65 for his eighth point. Tipp edge back in front.
42 mins – Tipperary 0-14 Galway 1-12
Conor Cooney as assumed Galway’s free-taking responsibilities. He sends over a placed ball.
GOAL! Conor Cooney rips a rasper past Darren Gleeson after intercepting a loose Tipp handpass. What a goal!
44 mins – Tipperary 0-15 Galway 2-12
Tipp are going direct but Galway are double-marking Seamus Callanan. They’ve dealt with those high balls well so far.
46 mins – Tipperary 0-16 Galway 2-12
Brendan Maher hits another wide for Tipp. They need to settle a little bit and try to find Callanan with better ball.
48 mins – Tipperary 0-16 Galway 2-12
The referee brings it back for a free just inside Tipp’s own 65 but Callanan sends it wide. That’s their sixth of the match.
48 mins – Tipperary 0-18 Galway 2-12
Noel McGrath drives one over from the sideline! Ronan Maher follows it up with another one from distance seconds later! Tipperary are showing life!
52 mins – Tipperary 0-18 Galway 2-13
Cooney converts the free. We’re in for a massive last quarter here in Croker.
53 mins – Tipperary 0-18 Galway 2-14
Andrew Smith finds Conor Whelan with a lovely pass. Whelan applies the finish. Two quick scores from Galway there. They lead by two.
55 mins – Tipperary 0-19 Galway 2-14
Paudie Maher lands over a mammoth score! This is a super game.
58 mins – Tipperary 0-19 Galway 2-15
Cooney nails another free. That’s 1-4 for him so far.
GOAL! John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer find the net for Tipp!
62mins – Tipperary 1-19 Galway 2-16
John Hanbury’s slip proved crucial there as John McGrath fielded a ball over his head and passed to O’Dwyer who finished from a tight angle.
Galway have responded with a point by Cooney. The sides are level for a ninth time.
GOAL! John McGrath! Two goals in two minutes for Tipp!
63mins – Tipperary 2-19 Galway 2-16
Bonner Maher and Seamus Callanan combined to set-up McGrath who found himself unmarked in front of the Galway goals. Tipp are really rolling now!
64 mins – Tipperary 2-19 Galway 2-17
Cyril Donnellan wins a free for Galway. It’s a simple tap-over for Cooney. We have a two point game once again.
Conor Whelan is replaced by Shane Moloney. Cathal Mannion comes off for Niall Burke.
Moloney was the hero in this game last year. Can he repeat the trick?
David Collins replaces Aidan Harte on the Galway side.
For Tipp, Sean Curran is in for Michael Breen.
68 mins – Tipperary 2-19 Galway 2-17
Cooney puts a free from inside his own half wide. Two minutes left…
Full-time: Tipperary 2-19 Galway 2-18
Tipperary are into the All-Ireland hurling final!
Gaa players seem a bit sensitive lol
It is a silly article, these people are given a page on a Sunday paper to write about whatever topic they choose. GAA players are amateurs, there is no comparison to be made. The mind boggles.
I think that gaa players are being told and starting to believe that they could go and play in the premier league or the championship and perform for a 32 game league and cut it when as amateurs they clearly couldn’t.thats what hunt is pointing out really.hes just saying how important rest is in between training and matches
I’d be much more GAA than soccer but if he said most GAA players wouldn’t have the talent to make it in the premiership I’d have to agree.
PL clubs have the money to buy the best in the world and it is highly unlike we’d have a load of guys crack it from our tiny country if the GAA lads tried their hand at it. I can accept that no problem.
The problem I’d have with his comments is that a man who never came across as the sharpest knife in the drawer is trying to make out that GAA lads are not his equal mentally!
I’d never have thought Hunty was the sharpest tool in the box either, but his Sindo articles reveal the opposite. They are fast becoming my first-read article in the sports pages. His insights into Trap’s attitudes, why the players appreciate Glenn Whelan etc are usually very interesting. I think Hunt was clearly irked by Joe Brolly but was foolish to respond with a sweeping statement about GAA players. However, I did like the comment about role models. Football is so high profile now and over-exposed in the media that some idiot diving will get ten times the publicity of Laurent Koscielny giving 600k to a factory in his home town to save it from closure. A kid who escapes a sink estate and a life in gangs because he worked hard at his talent and became a footballer is every bit as inspiring as a an educated GAA or rugby man being well behaved on the pitch. I also think Hunt was trying to say that despite the headlines of the likes of Ched Evans the vast majority are very professional and look after themselves well, at the expense of a fun lifestyle. I suspect there’s some truth in that.
The level of ignorance regarding fitness and conditioning of professional players versus amateurs is astounding here. Simply no comparison so stop kidding yourselves with it. It’s just embarrassing and showing the bias in some GAA parts to anything outside parochial part time amateur games. He’s right whether ye like it or not. Get informed and speak to a pro if you know any…..
The way I read it, I thought he was actually complimenting GAA players with a sarcastic jibe about the mundane life of the soccer players. I reckon he knows well the hard commitment of the GAA stars, who possibly don’t do sarcasm too often.
Or maybe I’m wrong and he’s really just stirring it up.
Of course they are sensitive,they know they are working as hard as any pro footballer,but they are being used and abused for their stupidity and loyalty,who cares anyway,its a mickey mouse game ,,outside of the parish no one knows them or cares about them or their sport !!!!we dont remember the hurling or football finals of 88 90 94 02,but we do remember the irish soccer teams performances on the international stage in those years!!!ps Brolly needs a slap!
That is a daft comment there are loads of people up and down the country who could probably recall every All -Ireland final for the last 20 years. I’m from Tipp and I remember every hurling final Tipp have played in since I was born, and could probably name you the starting lineup and give you a small bio for each player. I also remember ‘having a macedonia’, Euro ’12 and this gem from last week….. https://vine.co/v/O1d6DQeDwvq. (actually a soccer fan,but it’s getting harder by the day). I hate to be agreeing with Joe Brolly on his high horse, but in general soccer players are not role models (the Irish players are much better than most) or at least you hope kids are not looking up to the likes Yaya Toure, Ryan Giggs, Mario Ballotelli, Ched Evans, John Terry, Luis Suarez…. even golden boy multi – millionaire Lionel Messi is dodging his taxes…..
soccer players are good role models for kids tho? you could pick out a handfull of GAA players and put them in the same spot as you just put the soccer players in with a bad reputation.
loads of GAA HEADS
soccer players are more under pressure to get a result every week,essentially the fans paying in are paying your wages, it’s mental pressure on top of soccer players covering a lot more ground on the field as well,gaa players at inter county level play 5 or 6 games to get to an all ireland final and they play maybe another 5 or 6 serious games with their clubs and then you have league games which if you go to they just stroll around the place,hunt is right in what he’s saying,gaa players wouldn’t last a full season playing soccer and if they tried I think would you see a lot of pulled muscles and injuries with the gaa boys,that’s what he means about rest
Seen one fella saying we would see a lot of pulled muscles etc if GAA players were in the premier league, am i the only person who think a soccer player wouldnt last 5 minutes on a gaelic pitch before needing to be carried off? Wouldnt give them more than 30 seconds on a hurling pitch either
His argument about commitment highlights just how out of touch these millionaire soccer players have gotten, many top level GAA players would probably do a similar level of training before and after work, spend their intercounty ‘off season playing for their club/schools/university teams’ as well as helping out with some coaching…
Ah this is just to funny good man Stephen Hunt all the gaa heads fierce sensitive
Irelands fittest sportmen,
Gaa v Hurling v Soccer v Rugby v Golf!!!
Imagine Padraig Harrington vs Paul O’Connell in a wrestling match!
Well firstly there are exceptions in every code and it really depends on the kind of fitness your talking about. I mean professional rugby players would put most to shame in the gym to be fair, but in terms of endurance you would be hard pushed to see past Gaelic footballers as in it’s current give and go handpassing guise the level of hard running required is pretty extreme. I’m sure McIlroy is pretty fit, but any sport where John Daly or Miguel Jimenez can succeed can hardly lay any major claims. Hurling still (thankfully) places more emphasis on the technical aspects of the games. Soccer obviously has a high level of cardio fitness but obliviously has a problem with core strength the way they keep falling over…. https://vine.co/v/O1d6DQeDwvq
Or Shane Lowry against Keith earls in a sprint
Now thats a competition I would love to see, get someone like J.P. McManus to put forward a prize fund (100,000 should attract the soccer lads!) and have a competition based on several aspects of fitness…finish off with the winner having a battle to the death against Hunt!!
Is everyone missing the point here. Soccer players get paid thousands of pounds per week, it is not comparable!!!!
Wasn’t the greatest article but he hardly said anything too bad about GAA players, who have once again proven themselves to be some of the most precious bunch of sweethearts the sporting world has ever seen.
Stephen Hunt is a footballer???
how he made a living out been a footballer is a mystery league 2 was always his level