The Galway hurlers must bounce back quickly from their three-point defeat to Cork (1-20 to 1-17 ) last weekend when they take on Kilkenny on Sunday in Pearse Stadium (2.30pm ).
Kilkenny are undefeated after their first three games and will be hopeful of maintaining that winning form against John McIntyre’s injury-hit squad this weekend.
Brian Cody will look to midfielder Michael Fennelly to win ball around the middle and TJ Reid, Richie Hogan, Eddie Brennan and Colin Fennelly to provide the winning scores up front.
Galway did beat Kilkenny at Nowlan Park in last year’s league tie (2-21 to 1-23 ) with a spirited performance and that same attitude and work-rate will be required if they are to get anything from Sunday’s clash. In the Leinster championship final, however, the result was reversed with the Cats winning by 1-19 to 1-12.
Galway could have won last Sunday’s tie with the Rebels but for some poor first-half shooting when they hit 10 wides and missed two goal opportunities that fell to Iarla Tannian and Ger Farragher. At the top level, those chances have to be taken and Cork were much more efficient in taking their scores.
However John McIntyre will have been pleased with Galway’s response in the second half as they came back from a 1-10 to1-04 half-time deficit.
“We left ourselves too much to do in the second half and paid the price for doing so. We were in big trouble at half-time,” said McIntyre.
“We missed some routine point-scoring opportunities in the first half and they came back to haunt us a little. They showed a good bit of spirit in the second half. But we have a big challenge against Kilkenny on Sunday and it is something the players will relish. We really want to be competitive and a win will be vital if we are to progress to a league final.
“You have to be trying things out. As a management team we have to be patient. We are trying to set standards across the board, but perhaps we slipped a little bit below them the last day.”
Cyril Donnellan and Joe Gantley may force themselves into the starting line up for this Sunday after impressing on their introduction last weekend. Gantley hit two good points and added a scoring edge to the forwards. Team captain Damien Joyce is likely to be back in the frame for selection too after recovering from a groin injury.
Ger Farragher who shot 0-7 (6fs ) against Cork had to be withdrawn with a dead-leg and it will be touch and go if he is to be perfect for Sunday and longer term injuries such as Damien Hayes, Joe Canning and Kevin Hynes are still on the unavailable list.
