Dublin   1-19

Galway 1-17

IT’S gone from one extreme to another but Galway U20 hurlers were left counting their blessings that there has been such a radical change to the running of the Leinster championship in 2023.

Otherwise, this shock defeat to a resilient and cohesive Dublin outfit in Birr on Saturday would have resulted in Galway’s premature exit as up to this year, the championship was based on a knock-out system.

Now, it’s the polar opposite. Galway are in a group of four and, wait for it, all teams will feature in the knock-out stages even if one of them has the ‘misfortune’ to lose all their matches. It’s taken the concept of a safety net to ridiculous levels.

Any time a Galway hurling team loses to Dublin in the championship it tends to sow seeds of discontent among the locals, and Saturday’s unexpected reversal is no different, especially as Brian Hanley’s side twice led by nine points in the opening-half.

By the end of a lively contest, however, Galway were the ones on the ropes, having been repeatedly carved open by Dublin’s precise link-up play and support lines of running. You could see the fingerprints of former Waterford manager, Derek McGrath, all over the Dubs’ style of play.

McGrath had been enlisted by Dublin manager Shane O’Brien to assist in their preparations and how their team benefited from his coaching input. They were the ones who possessed the greater craft and technique down the home stretch.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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