The prize for the Galway senior hurlers for their impressive 2-28 to 0-22 win over Cork last Sunday in Semple stadium is an All-Ireland semi-final clash with Tipperary in three weeks time at Croke Park.
Based on the incremental progress and improved performance that Anthony Cunningham's side gave last weekend, that is a game that they will genuinely believe they can win. Cork were quite poor last Sunday and they never really got to the pitch of the game.
The way that Johnny Glynn was allowed solo through the Cork defence in the first minute, before planting the sliotar past a hapless Anthony Nash, was a perfect example of how Jimmy Barry Murphy's side never really got into the game or played with the passion and intensity they were expected to.
In fact the Cork manager felt the concession of that goal set the standard for the entire game: "It was a very soft goal for us to give away. It set the tone for the whole game and we seemed to be second to the ball on most occasions."
That was not Galway's problem though, and the Galway management team will be very pleased with their charges' display, apart from the very high wide count: "We'd be disappointed with the number of wides we had," (23 in total ), admitted Galway boss Anthony Cunningham after the game.
"It is good to have something to work on for the next day. We'll need, in a closer game, those to go over. We were creating the chances, but we know that there is scope for huge improvement the next day."
The Galway players will feel that they did not do themselves justice the last time they met Tipperary in the championship. Last year in Thurles Galway went down on a score-line of 3-25 to 4-13 in the round one championship qualifier, having been well ahead going into the last quarter.
They will have an opportunity to put that defeat to bed on Sunday two weeks when they face the Munster champions, who are many people's favourites for the All-Ireland. Waterford will take on Kilkenny in the other semi-final on August 9.
