GALWAY 5-29

ANTRIM 1-22

GALWAY took care of another less than daunting Leinster senior hurling championship assignment last Sunday when cruising to a 19-point victory over Antrim in Pearse Stadium, in what was the last of the county’s four home senior fixtures this year.

Although Antrim did give Galway something of a fright in the opening seconds when Niall McKenna burst through the heart of the defence and was fouled for a penalty well-dispatched to the net by Conal Cunning, the home side were well in control by the end of the first quarter and a shock similar to the one that played out down in Wexford later in the day was never really on the cards.

Galway, despite struggling at times to figure out a route either through or over Antrim’s well-stocked defensive unit, had more than enough class to keep the scoreboard ticking, and when Conor Whelan exploded into life with two goals late in the half, the two points on offer were already assured.

After Kevin Cooney, who played a classy a one-two with his brother Joseph, and Tom Monaghan rattled in third quarter goals, the final portion of the contest became little more than a casual training exercise for both teams, with both managers emptying their benches.

Their focus had already clearly turned to this weekend’s decisive fixtures against Dublin and Westmeath respectively, and physical contact was kept to a bare minimum as both sides picked off scores at their leisure, with Antrim hitting 11 points in the closing 20 minutes while substitute Liam Collins added a fifth goal for Galway not long after his introduction.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App

Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.

Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite  HERE.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.