By Eanna O’Reilly

FOLLOWING their heartbreaking Leinster Final defeat to Kilkenny, the Galway hurlers faced the challenge of lifting themselves to face into a knockout tie against a highly rated Tipperary side. The nature of the last minute defeat to the Cats left Henry Shefflin and the management team with the task of rebuilding morale in the camp within the space of 13 days.

According to the Galway manager, the players displayed a positive attitude when they returned to training the following Tuesday and appeared determined to respond to their Leinster Final defeat in the best possible fashion.

The Kilkenny native cited the importance of the wider panel, in pushing on those who had played against the Cats at Croke Park. The players who didn’t see game time in the Leinster Final travelled to Ennis the following Friday evening to take on Clare in a challenge match. Shefflin spoke of how impressed he was with Galway’s display on the night.

The performance of the extended panel members in the game against Clare certainly brought a positive vibe back into the camp, which, according to the Galway boss, was vital for their preparation for the All-Ireland quarter-final.

It was evident from early in the contest at the Gaelic Grounds that the Tribesmen were up for the fight, with no sign of any provincial final hangover evident. Galway displayed impressive physicality throughout the pitch and brought a huge level of energy from the off. They also made some significant improvements from their Kilkenny display.

Having conceded four goals against the Cats, a more effective defensive performance against Tipp was a necessity. The full time statistics in Limerick on Saturday evening showed the concession of 1-10 from play, which was an enormous improvement from the Leinster Final when Galway conceded 4-15 from play.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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