GALWAY 2-25 CARLOW 2-14

By Billy Coss at Pearse Stadium

A final quarter spell that delivered 1-7 without reply helped Galway survive a scare from Carlow in this afternoon’s Leinster Senior Hurling Championship opener in sunny Salthill.

Conor Cooney top scored with 1-10, 1-5 from play, as the Tribesmen were forced to weather a stirring fightback from last year’s Joe McDonagh Cup champions.

A 52nd minute Conor Kehoe goal and Martin Kavanagh’s accuracy helped Tom Mullaly’s side close to within striking distance, 1-18 to 1-14.

But the home side accelerated clear thereafter with Cooney rifling home the winners’ second goal and captain Conor Whelan making a major impact off the bench.

A second minute Gavin Lee major gave Galway an ideal start shooting into the Árus Bóthar na Trá end, though Carlow stayed on their coat-tails at 1-6 to 0-5 by the end of the first quarter following a fourth point from star man Kavanagh.

Galway outscored the visitors by eight points to four from there to the break with Cooney’s marksmanship central to it all and the impressive Cathal Mannion also grabbing his third. Kavanagh matched that return from play at the other end while also contributing four from placed balls.

1-14 to 0-9 at the interval became 1-18 to 1-14 at the three-quarter mark after Carlow seized the initiative. Chris Nolan, Jon Nolan and Kavanagh contributed their points and they struck for a well deserved goal when Jon Nolan netted to put matters back into the melting pot.

That was the signal for Galway to up the ante. Conor Whelan and Conor Cooney, captain and vice-captain, led the charge with a series of white flags and Cooney rifled home a brilliant goal on 56 minutes to release the pressure valve for Henry Shefflin’s team.

Though Carlow’s challenge faded, Jon Nolan struck for a second goal after Kavanagh’s injury-time penalty was saved by Darach Fahy.

Overall, it was an unconvincing performance from Galway who ran out 11-point victors and quickly turned their sights to next Sunday’s visit of Kilkenny.

Scorers for Galway: Conor Cooney 1-10 (3f, 2 65s), Gavin Lee 1-2, Cathal Mannion and Conor Whelan 0-3 each, Tom Monaghan 0-2, Declan McLoughlin, Donal O’Shea, Adrian Touhey, Ronan Glennon and Evan Niland 0-1 each.

Scorers for Carlow: Martin Kavanagh 0-8 (5f), Jon Nolan 1-1, Conor Kehoe 1-0, Chris Nolan 0-2, Ciarán Whelan, Tony Lawlor and John Michael Nolan 0-1 each.

GALWAY: Darach Fahy; Jack Grealish, Fintan Burke, Padraic Mannion; Seán Linnane, Adrian Touhey, Daithí Burke; Ronan Glennon, Donal O’Shea; Gavin Lee, Tom Monaghan, John Cooney; Cathal Mannion, Conor Cooney (captain), Declan McLoughlin. Subs: Evan Niland for Monaghan (49), Conor Whelan for McLoughlin (49), David Burke for Glennon (57), Darren Morrissey for Linnane (57), Joseph Cooney for Touhey (62).

CARLOW: Brian Tracey; Paul Doyle, Dion Wall, Kevin McDonald; Jack Kavanagh, Niall Bolger, Tony Lawlor; Richard Coady, Fiachra Fitzpatrick; John Michael Nolan, Ciarán Whelan, Jon Nolan; Martin Kavanagh, Chris Nolan, Conor Kehoe. Subs: Jack McCullagh for Jack Kavanagh (60), Paddy Boland for Kehoe (61), John Doyle for Fitzpatrick (62), Fiach O’Toole for Whelan (65), Scott Treacy for Chris Nolan (67), Jake Doyle for John Michael Nolan (69)

Ref: Seán Stack (Dublin).