Cummins and Badger unite to orchestrate Galway rout of Saffrons
Monday July 27 2009
GALWAY minor hurling manager Matt Murphy has warned that things will only get harder after they brushed past Antrim on Saturday.
The Tribesmen eased themselves into the All-Ireland minor semi-finals with an embarrassingly easy win over the Ulster champions at Parnell Park.
"You never really know what you are meeting when you come up to Parnell Park to play Antrim," said Murphy.
"We went up three years ago to play them in Mullingar and they scared the life out of us.
"We missed quite a few scoring opportunities in the first half, and it was kind of surprising that we got goal-scoring opportunities but we never converted them. If we could get ahead at half-time then I thought we could empty the subs bench and see out the game."
The Tribesmen were rusty in their first competitive outing of the season, but they were much too powerful for a weak Saffron challenge.
belief
Ronan Badger's goal on the 20th-minute mark gave Galway the belief to go on and dominate the rest of the match, and ended the first half leading 1-13 to 0-6.
A searing Richie Cummins run down the right split the Antrim defence -- his cross looked like it was goal bound -- but the diving Badger made sure, with a touch into the corner of the net.
Cummins then turned goal poacher just after the re-start when he netted twice by the 34th minute, to leave a 16-point gap in the scoreline.
Brian Flaherty netted later again from a Cummins pass, as Galway let loose and ran riot.
For Antrim manager Kevin McNaughton it was just another example of the gulf in standards between Ulster hurling and the rest of the country.
He explained: "There is a gulf between Ulster hurling and the rest, if we are the best in Ulster then you can see that difference.
"Matty Murphy reckons they are a brilliant team (Galway minors), the best team he has ever had and I'd have to agree with him."
Scorers -- Galway: R Cummins 2-2, N Burke 0-8 (4f 2 '65s), B Flaherty 1-5, R Badger 1-1, D Glennon 0-2, T Haran (sideline), J Cooney, C Cooney, S Moloney, J Grealish 0-1 each. Antrim: M Devlin (2f), S Shannon (1f), C McCann 0-2 each, C Clarke (0-1f), M Lismore, D McPeake, S Smyth 0-1 each.
Galway -- F Flannery; S Coen, D Burke, C Burke; K Hussey, J Brehony, J Cooney; T Haran, J Regan; B Flaherty, N Burke, J Grealish; R Cummins, R Badger, D Glennon. Subs: S Moloney for Glennon (35), P Skehill for Flannery (46), M Keating for Hussey (46), A Mullins for Cummins (49), C Cooney for Regan (49).
Antrim -- M Donaghy; C McGuinness, M Donnelly, R McCloskey; J McLister, C McClellan, D McPeake; C Laverty, S Smyth; M Devlin, S Shannon, S Beattie; M Lismore, C McCann, D McKinley. Subs: K Duffin for McClellan (h-t), C Clarke for Devlin (34), O Quinn for McLister (46), C Morgan for McCloskey (51), R O'Neill for McKinley (53).
Ref -- S Whelan (Wexford ).
- Galway 4-23 Antrim 0-10 All-Ireland mhc quarter-final
