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Tipperary have won their 25th Senior Hurling All-Ireland title with a 2-18 to 2-15 win over Galway at Croke Park on Sunday.
Nicky English's team took the lead in the fourth minute through captain, Tommy Dunne, and never relinquished it, and while Galway tired at the end, the Munster men pressed ahead to seal their victory.
Paul Ormond did his job at corner-back well. Eugene Cloonan, so lethal against Kilkenny in Galway’s semi-final victory, was kept eerily quiet in the final quarter, his 2-9 against the Cats already relegated to distant memory. Declan Ryan caused more problems at the edge of the square and should have snatched a goal for himself midway through the second half when he caught a pass unmarked on the 14-yard line. His shot whizzed wide of Michael Crimmins’ post.
Eoin Kelly once again proved the most prolific of the Munster men's forwards in the opening half, having scored five of Tipp's 1-9 total in the opening 35 minutes (four frees). Mark O'Leary scored Tipperary's goal in the 22nd minute after Declan Ryan caught a high ball on the edge of the square and fed it to the Kilruane man who was unmarked.
Galway began the half slowly scoring just three points by the 23rd minute, but two minutes later, Eugene Cloonan brought the Tribesmen back into the game when he pounced on a rebound of Alan Kerins' saved effort to bring the score to 1-6 to 1-3 for Tipp. The Munster men extended their lead to six points by the half hour mark, but a late rally by Galway with points from Kevin Broderick (2), Fergal Healy and Eugene Cloonan made it 1-7 to 1-9 at the half-time whistle.
Mark O’Leary added a second goal for Tipperary four minutes after the break. Running through the heart of the Galway defence, nudging the ball ahead of him, he dribbled under the legs of Crimmins before passing him and kicking the ball into the net.
Eugene Cloonan added a free a few minutes later, but Tipp were already on the higher ground. Dunne, Ryan and Lar Corbett (2) pointed to put the Premier County 2-13 to 1-10 in front with 20 minutes remaining.
Galway came to within a point of Tipperary in the 61st minute when corner forward, Fergal Healey, outpaced Donncha Fahey on the wing to reach the end line and slot the sliotar past Brendan Cummins. Fahey had only come on as a substitute for the injured Tom Costelloe five minutes earlier.
But Tipp were relentless. Within four minutes they were three points ahead again and by the 70th they had a four-point cushion, 2-17 to 2-13.
Ollie Fahey, a 68th minute substitute for Rabbitte gave Galway a slight hope of equalising when his 73rd minute point put just a goal between the sides but Eoin Kelly ensured there was no time for a dramatic equaliser with a 21-yard free a minute from the final whistle.
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12/09/01
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