Good evening — and welcome to the start of the summer!
(As far as the Leinster senior hurling championship is concerned, anyway.)
The reigning Leinster and All-Ireland champions Galway get their 2018 campaign underway in O’Connor Park, Tullamore, this evening as they take on Offaly in the first of their round-robin games.
Throw-in is fast approaching at 7pm, but stay with us and you won’t miss a thing.
TEAM NEWS: Both sides line out as named. Here’s the Offaly starting XV:
Offaly
1. Eoghan Cahill (Birr)
2. Tom Spain (Brosna Gaels)
3. Sean Gardiner (Lusmagh)
4. Ben Conneely (St Rynagh’s)
5. Damien Egan (Belmont)
6. Pat Camon (St Rynagh’s)
7. Brendan Murphy (Birr)
8. David King (Coolderry)
9. Shane Kinsella (Kinnitty)
10. Joe Bergin (Seir Kieran)
11. Conor Mahon (Kilcormac/Killoughey)
12. Oisin Kelly (Belmont)
13. Dan Currams (Kilcormac/Killoughey)
14. Colin Egan (Belmont)
15. Shane Dooley (Tullamore)
Galway
1. James Skehill (Cappataggle)
2. Adrian Tuohy (Beagh)
3. Daithi Burke (Turloughmore)
4. John Hanbury (Rahoon/Newcastle)
5. Padraig Mannion (Ahascragh/Fohenagh)
6. Gearoid McInerney (Oranmore/Maree)
7. Aidan Harte (Gort)
8. Johnny Coen (Loughrea)
9. David Burke (capt, St Thomas’)
10. Cathal Mannion (Ahascragh/Fohenagh)
11. Joe Canning (Portumna)
12. Joseph Cooney (Sarsfields)
13. Conor Whelan (Kinvara)
14. Conor Cooney (St Thomas’)
15. Brian Concannon (Killimordaly)
THROW IN: We’re up and running in Tullamore.
1 min — Offaly 0-1 Galway 0-0: Dan Currams is fouled, and Shane Dooley makes no mistake with the free to get Offaly up and running.
2 mins — Offaly 0-1 Galway 0-1: Great work by Brian Concannon on his championship debut; Conor Cooney is the beneficiary and scores.
4 mins — GOAL FOR GALWAY! Galway 1-1 Offaly 0-1
Superb stuff from Conor Cooney who skins Offaly full-back Sean Gardiner and fires in a shot. In the ensuing scramble, Brian Concannon gets the final touch it seems.
6 mins — Galway 1-2 Offaly 0-1: It’s Concannon again, showing lovely skills before pointing. That’s 1-1 for him inside the first couple of minutes of his championship debut!
7 mins — Galway 1-2 Offaly 0-2: Shane Dooley points his second free of the afternoon.
8 mins — Galway 1-3 Offaly 0-2: Joseph Cooney slots a point from 45 yards out. Lovely work from David Burke in the build-up there.
PENALTY TO GALWAY! Conor Whelan should score — but it’s a penalty instead. Joe to take…
GALWAY PENALTY… SAVED!
Stopped by Eoghan Cahill!
11 mins — GOAL FOR OFFALY! Galway 1-3 Offaly 1-2
An incredible 60 seconds. Cahill saves, Offaly come straight back down the pitch, and Dooley blasts to the net. Galway could have been six up; now there’s only a point in it!
15 mins — Galway 1-3 Offaly 1-3: Dooley levels it from a free. What a frantic start to this one. Championship is well and truly underway.
16 mins — Galway 1-4 Offaly 1-3: Galway get their noses back in front.
17 mins — Galway 1-4 Offaly 1-4: Shane Dooley levels again from the placed ball.
18 mins — Galway 1-5 Offaly 1-4: Padraic Mannion cuts it in, Joseph Cooney gets in behind Damien Egan, and sticks the ball between the posts.
20 mins — Galway 1-6 Offaly 1-4: Sensational start by Joseph Cooney. He has men inside with a sight on goal but he goes it alone and fires another point over the bar. That’s four from play.
22 mins — Galway 1-6 Offaly 1-5: Smashing long-distance score from David King.
24 mins — Galway 1-6 Offaly 1-6: Gearóid McInerney is whistled for charging as he tries to brush Oisin Kelly aside while bringing the ball out from the back. Shane Dooley levels matters with a free.
27 mins — Galway 1-7 Offaly 1-6: Ben Conneely is swarmed by Galway players and they force a turnover. It leaves Joe Canning with an opportunity from a free, and he makes no mistake.
31 mins — Galway 1-8 Offaly 1-6: Joe Canning points a free and the All-Ireland champions — who are certainly being made to work here — lead by two as we approach the break.
32 mins — Galway 1-8 Offaly 1-7: Ah, that’s lovely hurling from Shane Dooley; shapes one way, comes back in the other, and points. Magic.
34 mins — GOAL FOR GALWAY! Galway 2-8 Offaly 1-7
Now the scoreboard looks a little bit better from a Galway perspective — and it’s that man Joseph Cooney again! Conor Whelan gathers up possession and plays in Cooney who makes no mistake with the finish.
35 mins — Galway 2-9 Offaly 1-7: Joe Canning advances but he’s tracked down by the Offaly defenders. Galway regroup, the ball is worked to Cathal Mannion, and he points.
HALF TIME: Galway 2-9 Offaly 1-7
SECOND HALF: We’re back underway in Tullamore.
37 mins – Galway 2-10 Offaly 1-7: Tom Spain is whistled for overcarrying; Joe Canning points, and Galway are starting to build a comfortable margin here.
38 mins — Galway 2-11 Offaly 1-7: Offaly give away another soft free, and Joe Canning takes full advantage once again.
39 mins – Oisin Kelly finds himself in the referee’s book for a high tackle. That’s the first yellow card of the day, unless I’m mistaken.
41 mins — Galway 2-11 Offaly 1-8: Joe Bergin helps prevent the gap from becoming too unwieldy. Offaly could do with putting together a string of scores if they’re going to trouble Galway.
43 mins — GOAL FOR GALWAY! Galway 3-11 Offaly 1-8: That should settle this one as a contest — and it’s championship debutant Brian Concannon again! His second of the day. Galway lead by nine and despite Offaly’s best efforts, the champions are cruising.
44 mins — Galway 3-11 Offaly 1-9: Shane Dooley points for Offaly.
45 mins — GOAL FOR OFFALY! Galway 3-12 Offaly 2-10
Hang on a second! Joe Bergin throws Offaly a lifeline with a goal, and then Dan Currams points to make it a five-point game. Game on, again!
47 mins — Galway 3-13 Offaly 2-10: Joe Canning very nearly responds in the most emphatic fashion with a goal of his own, but it’s saved by Eoghan Cahill.
Canning points the resulting 65 to leave six between the sides again.
53 mins – Another great chance for Galway brings about another fine save from Eoghan Cahill. This time, Joe Canning misses the 65.
56 mins — Galway 3-14 Offaly 2-10: Joe Canning points another free — from another pretty needless foul — to stretch the gap to seven.
57 mins — Galway 3-15 Offaly 2-10: Another from Conor Cooney, and Galway should have more than enough in hand to see it home from here.
59 mins — GOAL FOR GALWAY! Galway 4-15 Offaly 2-10: Brilliant work by Cathal Mannion who skips away from two defenders and bears down on goal. He flicks the ball across to Conor Whelan who applies the easy finish.
60 mins — Galway 4-15 Offaly 2-11: Shane Dooley tacks on another; that takes his individual tally to 1-7 for the evening.
61 mins — Galway 4-15 Offaly 2-12: Goalkeeper Eoghan Cahill takes a long-range free for Offaly, and points it.
63 mins — Galway 4-16 Offaly 2-12: Offaly try to get a little bit cute with their play but Joe Canning steps up to intercept Tommy Geraghty’s pass, and fires it over the bar.
64 mins — Galway 4-17 Offaly 2-13: Shane Kinsella and Conor Whelan trade scores.
SAVE! Another great stop by Eoghan Cahill; should have been a fifth for Galway, and it could be a cricket score but for some fine saves from Cahill.
Johnny Glynn comes on to replace Joe Canning for Galway.
67 mins — Galway 4-17 Offaly 2-14: Shane Dooley free but it all feels a little bit redundant at this point as we see out the final few minutes.
69 mins — Galway 4-18 Offaly 2-15: Points at either end; Sean Loftus scores his first championship point, and Shane Dooley responds.
70 mins — GOAL FOR GALWAY! Galway 5-18 Offaly 2-15: Niall Burke delivers the ball towards goal with brilliant accuracy, Jason Flynn gathers it up and buries the chance. Super.
FULL TIME: Galway 5-18 Offaly 2-15
So that’s it. Galway get their provincial defence up and running with a win in the opening Leinster round-robin match.
Offaly will take a lot of encouragement from their performance too, but the step up in class between the sides was evident come full time.
Thanks very much for reading and for commenting.
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