Sport

Cloonan and Galway go on a scoring spree

Galway full forward Eugene Cloonan pulverised Derry with a sparkling display capped with a personal tally of three goals and …

Mon Sept 08 1997 - 01:00

Galway full forward Eugene Cloonan pulverised Derry with a sparkling display capped with a personal tally of three goals and 10 points at Markievicz Park yesterday to end the Ulster side's interest in the All-Ireland Under-21 hurling championship.

The Galway senior star was the star of a full forward line that amassed a breath-taking total of six goals and 15 points of the winner's total.

But the runaway win was essentially a team effort and, while the final against Cork will be an entirely different ball game, the overall performance of the team even in this one-sided semi-final was most impressive.

Derry opened the scoring with a point from Raymond O'Hagan after a minute of the first half, but Galway swept into a lead they were never to relinquish when a blasted, angled shot by Alan Kerins swirled past despairing goalkeeper Joe McEldowney into the corner of the Derry net.

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McEldowney was a late replacement for regular goalkeeper Ciaran Stevenson, who was ruled out with an ankle injury.

Points by team captain Dermot Doherty and Danny McGreelish kept Derry in the hunt up to the 17th minute, but a second Galway goal by Kevin Broderick two minutes later heralded the beginning of the end for the Derry men

Cloonan got a goal in the 20th minute to put 11 points between the teams, and when Ollie Canning found the net four minutes later the game was well and truly wrapped up. Galway led by 4-13 to 0-4 at half-time.

Darren Shaughnessy raised the first flag of the second half with a Galway point, and Derry had to wait until the 17th minute of the half before registering their first score - a Dermot Doherty point.

Galway: N Murray; G Kennedy, P Huban, L Hodgins; V Maher, M Healy, B Higgins; B Carr (0-3), G Glynn (0-2); D Shaughnessy (1-4), M Cullinane (0-2), K Broderick (1-0); A Kerins (2-1), E Cloonan (3-10), O Canning (1-4).

Derry: J McEldowney; B McEldowney, G Brunton, M McGlade; P McKaigue, S Lockhart, A McCloskey; D Lockhart, M Conway; D Doherty (0-4), R O'Hagan (0-2), P McCluskey; E Farran, D Doherty, D McGreelish (0-1). Sub: P McCluskey (for McGlade).

Referee: P Delaney (Laois).