In-form Galway open National League campaign with home clash against Cork
DESPITE the usual frenzy of pre-season January fixtures, next Sunday’s National Football League Division 2 clash between Galway and Cork at Pearse Stadium (2pm), is still very much a trip into the unknown for both sides.
Galway’s pre-season form has been a tad more impressive than Cork’s – beaten by Kerry in the McGrath Cup semi-final – but the ‘real action’ never starts until the first round of the league.
Both teams will be without a number of key panel members for different reasons. Galway will be without their Corofin contingent due to the All-Ireland club semi-final on February 11 against Dr. Crokes while Cork are missing a number of ‘big names’ because of injury.
Cork were relegated from the premier division of Gaelic football last seasson – but rather unluckily so – having finished on six points from seven matches that included wins over Mayo, Monaghan and Down.
An inferior points difference to the other ‘six pointers’ – Mayo and Monaghan – sent them packing to Division 2. The main reason for that poor points difference was a humiliating 4-25 to 3-10 defeat they suffered to Roscommon.
That scoreline, taken in tandem with their 1-18 to 0-12 first round league win over Mayo last year, probably sums up the enigma that is Cork football. On their day, they can be very good . . . but they also can be quite awful.
They tasted All-Ireland glory in 2010 with a one point win over Down and since then they’ve made various vain attempts to ‘eat at the master’s table’ of championship football, but with limited success.
Peadar Healy from Naomh Abán is now the man at the helm, and with two away games to start – they play Kildare the following Sunday – he’ll be anxious to get something out of Salthill this weekend.
The word from the Cork camp is that they’ll be without Eoin Cadogan, Alan O’Connor, Jamie O’Sullivan as well as the Hurley brothers – Brian and Michael – all ruled out through injury. Midfielder Alan O’Connor is not expected to re-join the action until later on in the league.
While Kevin Walsh will take some solace from Galway’s battling 2-14 to 0-15 Connacht FBD league win over Roscommon last Sunday, his situation is not without its managerial headaches either.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.