Canning a major doubt for league relegation decider

STEPHEN GLENNON

IT is still ‘touch and go’ if sharpshooter Joe Canning will be fit in time for Galway’s crunch Division 1A relegation play-off game against Dublin at O’Connor Park, Tullamore on Sunday (2:30pm).

Although Canning has resumed full training, Galway boss Anthony Cunningham believed the relegation play-off might be pushing it for the return of the Portumna ace. “I suppose, to be honest, this game is coming too soon for him,” said Cunningham. “If he is not right, we won’t play him. It is the type of injury – a shoulder injury – that if it is not right, you can’t really play with it.”

Canning sustained the injury when lining out for Limerick IT in a Fitzgibbon Cup game in early February – rupturing the AC joint. Having tallied 2-24 in the Walsh Cup campaign (2-7 from play), he looked to be in flying form heading into the League.

However, the injury subsequently ruled him out of that campaign and while Canning, it is understood, has made good progress, the management now face the tough decision of do they rush him back for Sunday’s pivotal play-off?

One suspects that if Canning is anyway right, they will, but in saying that their prolific marksman is not their only concern. There could well be a goalkeeping crisis come Sunday, should Craughwell’s Jamie Ryan fail to recover from a calf injury.

Ryan tore the muscle lining out at full-forward for Craughwell’s U-21s in their county championship semi-final victory over Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry last weekend. With Galway’s No. 1 custodian James Skehill already on the treatment table with a shoulder injury, the loss of Ryan would see the Galway management dipping into the development squad.

Currently holding the No. 1 jersey there is Fergal Flannery, who was on the bench for Galway’s 25-point drubbing at the hands of Kilkenny. While the Padraig Pearses man and former All-Ireland winning goalkeeper is no stranger to the big occasion, Sunday’s clash would represent his greatest challenge yet.

Adding to the Tribesmen’s woes has been the recurrence of a hand injury to Niall Healy in training earlier this week. Healy has been plagued with the injury this year and this latest setback which sees him out of Sunday’s tie, is not only a blow to Galway, but to the player himself as he was well in contention for a starting berth against Dublin.

Two others in a race to be fit are Killimordaly defender Declan Connolly and the versatile Joseph Cooney. Connolly is still struggling with a ligament ankle injury while Cooney, one of the few to show some mettle in the defeat to All-Ireland champions Kilkenny a fortnight ago, sustained a heavy injury lining out for Sarsfields in a recent club game.

There has also been some movement in and out of the panel in the past two weeks, with three of last year's All-Ireland-winning minors – Shane Maloney, Padraig Breheny (both Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry) and Jonathan Glynn (Ardrahan) – stepping up to the senior squad, while Gort’s Richie Cummins and Sarsfields’ Niall Quinn have also joined the Galway set-up.

But Aidan Harte, Jason Grealish (both Gort), Mark Lydon (Moycullen) and Donal Cooney (St. Thomas’) have all been released from the panel while another to part ways with the senior squad in the last month has been Killimordaly’s Eanna Ryan.

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