Cork Dominate Galway in Leeside to Secure League Final Spot

Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork – Cork’s prolific scoring streak continued in emphatic fashion as they stormed into the National Hurling League final with a commanding victory over Galway at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Following their six-goal demolition of All-Ireland champions Clare, Cork added four more to their tally in this ruthless display, setting up a much-anticipated final clash with Tipperary on the weekend of April 5-6—their first meeting at this stage of the competition since 1960.

Horgan Makes History in Front of Home Crowd

Amidst a 20,010-strong crowd, Patrick Horgan etched his name into the record books by surpassing Eddie Keher to become the all-time leading scorer in the National League. The Cork talisman amassed 1-9, further cementing his legendary status in hurling history.

Horgan was well-supported by Brian Hayes, Darragh Fitzgibbon, and Tim O’Mahony, who also found the net, as Cork secured their first League final appearance since 2022 and now aim to end their 26-year title drought.

Galway Falter in Key Moments

For Galway, the stakes were equally high, as a win would have seen them through to the final. However, they exited the competition with a whimper, suffering a second heavy defeat in as many weeks, following their loss to Limerick. Notably, all three of their defeats in this campaign—against Tipperary, Limerick, and now Cork—have come by a 12-point margin.

The contest remained finely poised in the opening exchanges, with both sides locked at 0-4 apiece after ten minutes. However, Cork seized the momentum when Brian Hayes outmuscled Padraic Mannion and slotted past Eanna Murphy for the game’s opening goal.

Horgan soon extended the lead with a free, but Galway responded with a three-point surge, the third coming from Cathal Mannion’s sharp effort. Yet, Cork delivered another decisive blow in the 17th minute, with Fitzgibbon—operating at centre-forward rather than his usual midfield role—powering a low shot past Murphy to widen the gap.

By the 33rd minute, Cork’s dominance was evident as Declan Dalton’s point ensured that all eight of their starting forwards had contributed to the scoreboard. In contrast, Galway relied heavily on Cathal Mannion’s 0-4 from play and Evan Niland’s frees, with their only real goal threat before the break coming from Tiernan Killeen, whose effort was superbly blocked by Sean O’Donoghue.

At halftime, Cork led 2-12 to 0-12, boasting an impressive 14 scores from 15 shots, while Galway struggled with 12 scores from 23 attempts.

Second-Half Surge Seals Cork’s Victory

Galway’s hopes of a comeback hinged on scoring the next goal—but it was Cork who struck first just three minutes into the second half. Horgan, set up brilliantly by Dalton, finished clinically to put the result beyond doubt.

With Galway’s attack struggling to break through, manager Micheál Donoghue made sweeping changes, substituting his entire full-forward line of Niland, Brian Concannon, and Conor Whelan by the 46th minute. Their only serious goal effort in the second half came from Declan McLoughlin, but he was expertly hooked by Niall O’Leary before he could strike.

As the game lost its intensity, Cork continued to pile on the pressure. Tim O’Mahony added a fourth goal in the 57th minute after a slick one-two with substitute Shane Kingston, stretching their lead to 15 points.

Horgan’s tally was complete by the 64th minute, when he was substituted to a rousing ovation. Galway managed a late four-point surge, but substitute Alan Connolly had the final say as Cork closed out an emphatic victory.

Cork Eye League Glory

Speaking earlier in the week, Horgan emphasized Cork’s hunger for silverware, and their current form suggests they are well-positioned to claim their first League title since 1998. If their upward trajectory continues, bigger prizes may yet be within reach later in the season.

Scorers & Team Lineups

CORK: P Collins; N O’Leary, D Cahalane, S O’Donoghue; C Joyce, R Downey, M Coleman; T O’Mahony (1-1), E Twomey (0-1); B Roche (0-1), D Fitzgibbon (1-1), S Barrett (0-3); D Dalton (0-2, 0-1f), B Hayes (1-0), P Horgan (1-9, 0-6f).

Subs: C O’Brien (0-2) for Coleman (40), S Harnedy (0-1) for Roche (46), A Connolly (0-1) for Dalton (50), S Kingston for Hayes (56), D Healy for Horgan (65).

GALWAY: E Murphy; D Morrissey, P Mannion, J Ryan; C Fahy, G Lee, S Morgan; S Linnane, T Monaghan (0-1); R Burke (0-2), C Mannion (0-5), T Killeen (0-1); E Niland (0-8, 0-6f, 0-1 ‘65’), B Concannon, C Whelan (0-1).

Subs: J Flynn (0-1f) for Concannon (HT), C Cooney (0-3, 0-1f) for Whelan (46), D McLoughlin (0-1) for Niland (46), TJ Brennan for Morgan (64).