Following their narrow 1-22 to 2-16 win over Offaly at O’Connor Park last weekend, the Galway hurlers take on Dublin in the Walsh Cup final this Sunday at Parnell Park in Dublin (12.45pm ).
Galway manager John McIntyre was not impressed by his charges last Saturday when they allowed Offaly to come back from nine points down and put it up to his side in the last quarter.
“We’ve got to concentrate for the full 70 minutes. We’ve got to be more clinical and ruthless. Obviously when you are nine points up midway through the second half, you’d like to walk off winning by 12, 13 or 14 points,” he said.
On the positive side Galway have introduced nine or 10 players to the cut-and-thrust of inter-county action over the past few weeks, and with the Portumna players possibly not available for another few weeks, it gives the Galway management the ideal opportunity to give game time to new squad members.
More good news is the expected return of former captain David Collins, who has been out of action for two and a half years since suffering an ankle injury playing for Connacht in an inter-provincial.
The Liam Mellows clubman joined the Galway squad this week after returning from Australia and is named on the bench for Sunday’s final. The only change to the starting line-up sees Colm Callanan come in for regular goalkeeper James Skehill.
Traditionally Galway would be expected to see off Dublin with some ease, but Anthony Daly is making a big impact in the capital. The Dubs beat Wexford in Gorey last weekend by four points with a solid performance.
Dublin have some top-class players, such as current All-Star Alan McCrabbe, who hit 0-6 (2fs ) from full-forward, and half backs Stephen Hiney, Ronan Fallon and Maurice O’Brien. Former football All-Star Shane Ryan, who re-joined the hurlers this season, adds power and penetration at centre-forward. He scored 1-1 from play against Wexford.
McIntyre knows his panel face a tough game next Sunday as he pointed out during the week.
“We were hurled off the field by Dublin in the league last year and they won’t be the slightest bit afraid of Galway. Dublin hurling is on an upward curve. They have a good manager and we’re not going to get anything soft up there.”
Some early season silverware would provide a nice boost to morale in the panel before the start of the National Hurling League against Limerick on Sunday week and with some added vocal support from the Portumna aficionados in attendance, perhaps the likes of Ger Farragher, Joe Gantley and David Burke, who have been in good form, can drive the team to victory.
Galway (SH v Dublin ): C Callanan; D Joyce, S Kavanagh, P Holland; D Barry, T Og Regan, K Hynes; G Farragher, N Cahalan; A Callanan, C Donnellan, D Burke; A Harte, J Gantley, N Hayes.
