Armstrong injury another blow to struggling footballers

FRANK FARRAGHER

IT’S not easy being a Galway footballer these times. There are three matches gone in the league with no points in the bag, and when you’re down, the friends and supporters tend to get scarcer.

Into the bargain, throw in a trip down to Killarney (2.30) on Sunday, to take on a county that strongly believes it should be winning the All-Ireland title every year, and the magnitude of Galway’s weekend task becomes apparent.

Galway were dealt another blow last week when Sean Armstrong aggravated an old hamstring injury in Sigerson Cup action that will keep him out of the frame for the next month at least, while Gareth Bradshaw is also ruled out.

Along the way of Galway’s early season troubles, every five-eighth has an opinion and a fireside antidote to the county’s problems – the reality is that there are no silver bullet solutions for the current ailment.In fairness to the current squad of players, there does seem to be a general consensus within the county, that they have put in a huge effort on the training fields of Loughgeorge since New Year’s Day, but each passing defeat has wolfed away at the confidence cake. A win would be like a shot of oxygen to a patient struggling to get their breath.

Manager Tomás Ó Flatharta – who strangely still remains incommunicado to the Galway footballing public – will announce the team tonight (Thursday) at training and in the continuing absence of players like Padraic Joyce, Michael Meehan, Sean Armstrong and Gareth Bradshaw, the options are limited. Killererin’s Nicky Joyce didn’t line out for his club in last Sunday’s league final defeat to Barna.

Ó Flatharta will probably try and re-jig the midfield sector which has continued to give Galway problems this season, but like a lot of other difficulties, this is not an overnight problem. It sounds like a cliché at this stage, but we really have struggled to find a midfield leader since the days of Kevin Walsh.

We’re now a long way removed from the days of winning All-Irelands but the show goes on and the fervent wish is that Galway at least put in a competitive 70 minutes against Kerry. The last thing Galway need is a right pasting in Fitzgerald Stadium.

Kerry though will be in no mood for dispensing any alms, especially after their honour was seriously compromised in the 3-10 to 1-15 Croke Park defeat by the Dubs on February’s last Saturday.Jack O’Connor will need no reminding that Kerry have picked up just two league points out of six so far – Mayo being their only victims in Castlebar last month – so it can be taken as read that they will be at full throttle on Sunday.

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