Galway 2-22
Cork 1-17
Galway produced a fine team performance to claim the National Hurling League Division 1 title at Semple Stadium on Sunday evening.
Joe Canning, as usual, was seen to good effect throughout, registering 1-5, all from play.
While Canning has often ploughed a lone furrow for Galway in the past, he had ample support this time.
Damien Hayes found the net inside the first 60 seconds and added another score soon after to give Cork the perfect start.
Ger Farragher relieved the Portumna master of free-taking duties and was in sharp form from placed balls throughout the evening, while Aidan Harte, Andy Smyth, Cyril Donnellan and sub Joe Gantley were all on target for John McIntyre’s men.
But the best scores of the day were still the responsibility of Canning, and he delivered in style.
Moments after Cathal Naughton’s kicked goal put Cork in front towards the end of the first half, Canning caught a long punt forward, shrugged off his marker Eoin Dillon and planted an unstoppable drive high past Donal Óg Cusack in the Cork goal.
If that was the score of the game, it was closely matched by a Canning point in the second half, as he pulled down a Shane Kavanagh clearance on his hurl and split the posts from 60 yards without breaking stride.
Cork had no answer, and their best chance of getting back into the game was lost when Patrick Horgan’s penalty was deflected over the bar by Colm Callanan in the Galway goal.
