Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
REPLAY IT BY EAR..
Champions Galway sweat on injured stars after an epic semi-final draw
NEVER has there been a Championship where big leads have been so flimsy.
Clare, nine points down after 15 minutes of this gripping All-Ireland semi-final, managed to force extra time, during which they went ahead for the first time all evening, before being pegged back and salvaging a replay in the end as sub Jason McCarthy sides drew level for the eighth time.
After the Tipperary-Cork, Waterford-Tipperary and Kilkenny-Wexford games, it was the fourth time this summer that a team had been nine points up and failed to win.
When Galway look back on this game, their 12 first half wides will arguably bother them most as Clare carried more momentum into the half-time break despite trailing by four points. Croke Park nerves were evident in Clare’s display early on.
Donal Tuohy was under pressure with his puckouts, Galway were dominating the physical exchanges and pounced on unforced errors to build a 0-6 to 0-1 lead after just 12 minutes.
At that stage, Jonathan Glynn had already flashed a goal chance wide while Cathal Mannion fluffed another.
The game appeared to be over when Glynn dispossessed Patrick O’Connor in front of his own goal for Conor Cooney to sweep in the game’s opening goal.
Joe Canning then slotted a point to leave Clare 1-7 to 0-1 in arrears after just 16 minutes.
However, a key tactical switch gave Clare a foothold as Colm Galvin was sent back to sweep in front of the full-back line while Tony Kelly moved from centre-forward to midfield.
Galvin’s presence gave Clare’s fullback line a much needed extra layer of insulation and a extra option on puckouts, even if the Clonlara man’s distribution left something to be desired at times.
Kelly thundered into the game and landed two monster points as Clare hit five without reply.
Galway wastefulness was going into overdrive and although Mannion ended their 12-minute scoring drought, Clare tagged on another three, all from Peter Duggan, to cut the deficit to two.
Mannion and Glynn closed out the half with a couple of points to settle Galway, who led 1-10 to 0-9 at half-time.
Clare hit four of the first five
points of the second half to move within one for the first time but Galway seemed to have weathered the storm when going five in front again, Conor Whelan getting his second score of the day after a David McInerney error.
But Clare hit the next five to draw level, John Conlon striking the equaliser as he resumed his All-Star form in a superb second half display and Galway suffered a significant blow with Gearoid McInerney forced off.
Peter Duggan hit a sensational equaliser for Clare, before Galway reclaimed the initiative again.
Three points in as many minutes from Canning, sub Niall Burke and captain David Burke looked to have given them enough of a buffer with four minutes remaining. But a Kelly sideline, Conlon’s fourth point and a Duggan free, his 13th point of the day, tied it up at 1-23 to 0-26.
There was still time for Johnny Coen to hit a winner for Galway though he dropped his effort short, while Clare sub Ian Galvin was blocked by Cathal Mannion as the whistle blew for full-time.
The intensity dropped in the first period of extra time as Galway outscored Clare by 0-3 to 0-1, the Banner striking seven wides in those 10-plus minutes.
Canning hit each of Galway’s points, two frees and a sideline, but like McInerney had to be replaced after appearing to twist his knee.
Clare took the lead for the first time in the game seconds into the second period when sub Aron Shanagher – making his first appearance of the year after a cruciate injury last winter- superbly fielded Colm Galvin’s delivery and whipped the ball past James Skehill.
Galway quickly equalised through Jason Flynn but another Duggan free and a point from O’Donnell put Clare two up before Jason Flynn slotted a free and blazed over from a goal chance after Glynn had stormed through to restore parity.
Coen, having blown a chance to win it in normal time, then put Galway back in front but referee James Owens allowed four minutes of injury time despite three being announced and Clare managed to work an equaliser in the game’s last play as David Fitzgerald placed McCarthy for the leveller.