Chairman, of the Galway Race Commitee, Terry Cunningham, with trainer Gordon Elliott and John Moloney, General Manager, Galway Racetrack, at the launch of the Galway Summer Festival at Elliott’s yard in Longwood, Co Meath. Photo: Andrew Downes.

Galway men are no busted flush heading to Thurles

John McIntyre

Inside Track

Inside Track with John McIntyre

Galway hurling supporters would have travelled to Tullamore last Saturday evening with renewed faith in the team on the back of their explosive finish to the drawn Leinster semi-final, but instead of the expected improvement the Tribesmen went backwards. And there can be no complaints about bowing out of the provincial championship even if the eight-point margin of defeat was a harsh reflection on their overall contribution to an absorbing contest.

Once more Galway failed to push on after generating excitement about their championship potential just six days earlier but, unlike some occasions in the past, this was no flop or self implosion before a near capacity crowd in O’Connor Park. It was simply that a lot of their difficulties were the product of a more consistent and vigorous effort by Kilkenny’s reshuffled forces over the 70 minutes. Ultimately, the better equipped team carried the day and there is no escaping that reality.

Both managements carried out major surgery to their ranks for the replay, but it was the Kilkenny changes – both personnel and positional – which really had a defining influence on the outcome. Jackie Tyrell, restored to corner back, hurled up a storm, the recalled Brian Hogan put the shackles on Joe Canning on the forty, while Padraig Walsh proved a revelation in his surprising new role of centre forward in a sector where the outstanding TJ Reid ruthlessly punished persistent opposition fouling in the opening half.

In contrast, the Galway alterations failed to pay off. Both Joseph Cooney and Jonathan Glynn had probably played themselves onto the team on the basis of their positive impact in the drawn semi-final, but neither of them ever really got to the tempo of the match. Cooney was taken off – Glynn could have gone too – as was the third change in personnel, Paul Killeen, who struggled to tie down Reid and appeared overwhelmed by the physicality and intensity of the exchanges. In the Tynagh man’s defence, he had been thrown in at the deep end.

Of course, nobody in the crowd of over 17,000 knew what team Galway were sending into battle until two minutes before the throw in. This growing practice of trying to keep the opposition guessing until the eleventh hour is a nonsense and Galway supporters who dug deep into their pockets for the replay deserved more respect. Kilkenny made several changes from the programme too, but their reshuffling was made known – at least to the media – an hour before the start.

Though huge credit has to be afforded Kilkenny for absorbing and heeding the lessons of the previous weekend, Galway hardly helped their cause with some needless fouling, unforced errors, poor distribution and an over-reliance on the route one approach for scores. To compound matters, Cooney, Glynn, Canning and Niall Burke all failed to score from play, while the repeated first half tactic of long puck outs down the right flank only served to make a hero of Cillian Buckley.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.