Rebels strike late to relegate Galway

By Cian O’Connell
At Pearse Stadium

FOR an hour an exciting and entertaining Allianz Hurling League Division 1A relegation playoff moved along nicely before Cork pounced for two smashing goals to knock Galway out of the top flight.
It was a cruel conclusion for Galway, who had overcome a worrying start to lead by three points with 12 minutes left on the clock. Cork, though, just had a bit more craft in attack with Seamus Harnedy and Patrick Horgan rattling the Galway net late on with stylish finishes.
At the opposite end Galway just couldn’t get going with the same fluency despite the notable efforts of Niall Burke and Joe Canning. Too many Galway forwards weren’t self-sufficient gathering possession and when Cork struck goals courtesy of a direct approach the Tribesmen simply had to reflect on what might have been.