First opportunity for Galway to shake off the winter cobwebs

Date Published: {J}

STEPHEN GLENNON

YET another era dawns in Galway hurling as new manager Anthony Cunningham takes his senior charges to Belfield for a tricky opening Walsh Cup assignment against UCD on Sunday (2pm).

With the college teams already acquitting themselves very well in this pre-season competition – underlined by NUI Galway’s superb win over Wexford last weekend – Galway can take nothing for granted going into this game.

Indeed, this Sunday’s opposition, UCD scored an impressive 2-13 to 0-11 victory over Carlow in their first round clash under lights at IT Carlow’s ground last weekend, in a game where the students looked the more commanding side throughout.

Two first-half goals from corner forward Kevin O’Loughlin had the visitors 2-7 to 0-6 in front by the half-time break. The UCD defence – led by Oisín Gough, Joe Lyng, Shane Norton and Matthew McCaffrey – remained resolute in the second period while Tipperary star Noel McGrath continued to boss midfield, underlined by his four points from play throughout the tie.

Up front, O’Loughlin finished scorer-in-chief with 2-3, while Cathal Kenny and Walter Walsh also contributed in the students’ facile win.Also involved with the Dublin side are Galway senior panellists Jamie Ryan (Craughwell) and Donie Fox (Carnmore) and, as a result, they will be unavailable to Cunningham for this weekend’s clash.

The Galway manager will also be without a number of other players involved with their colleges, including NUI Galway duo Paul Gordon (Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry) and Niall Burke (Oranmore/Maree) and GMIT’s Ger O’Halloran (Craughwell).

However, Cunningham should be able to call on sharpshooter Joe Canning, who returned from injury to line out in Limerick IT’s 2-24 to 1-16 defeat to Tipperary in the Waterford Crystal Cup on Sunday. Canning netted the game’s opening goal and tallied a personal total of 1-8, 0-6 from frees, on the day.

Although the Galway management team of Cunningham, Mattie Kenny and Tom Helebert is not expected to name the team until later in the week, it is understood they will be naming a side along the lines of those which have featured in recent challenge games against University of Limerick (UL), Gort and Clare.

Due to the unavailability of UCD’s Ryan, Cappataggle’s James Skehill will man the posts, while in defence, Tony Óg Regan (Rahoon/Newcastle), Fergal Moore (Turloughmore), David Collins (Liam Mellows) and Mark Lydon (Moycullen) will all be pushing for inclusion.

Loughrea’s Johnny Coen and Sarsfields’ Kevin Hynes is just one midfield partnership the management has looked at and they may use Sunday’s pre-season game to take a look at another.

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