Goalkeeper Skehill to be sidelined for up to eight weeks

STEPHEN GLENNON

GOALKEEPER James Skehill will miss Galway’s crucial National Hurling League clash against Kilkenny at Nowlan Park on Sunday (2:30pm), after it was confirmed that the injury he sustained in the defeat to Waterford will keep him out for a minimum of eight weeks.

The Cappataggle man dislocated his left shoulder in what appeared to be an innocuous challenge in the lead-up to the all-important goal that saw Waterford emerge 1-14 to 0-15 winners over the Tribesmen at Pearse Stadium last weekend.

According to Galway coach Tom Helebert, Skehill is to meet the medical specialist again later this week and the full extent of the injury will then be known.

“It is very unfortunate for James,” added Helebert. “He was in a rich vein of form – his shot stopping was very good and his puck-out strategy was working really well. So, it is a pity for him. However, the challenge now is to get him back to full health in advance of the championship.”

In any event, Galway – who are expected to have changes in their line-up when the team is named later this evening – are walking a fine line between qualification for the semi-finals and the threat of relegation from Division 1A following their two-point defeat to Waterford.

Those two NHL points for the Déise means that should they defeat Dublin in their final round robin game at Fraher Field in Dungarvan on Sunday – and Galway fail to account for Kilkenny at Nowlan Park – then the Tribesmen will be thrown into a relegation dogfight with the Liffeysiders.

That said, should Galway pull one of their proverbial ‘rabbit out of the hat’ performances against the Cats – a side they have defeated in their last two National League meetings – then Anthony Cunningham’s charges will secure a place in the knockout stages.

“It (Waterford defeat) puts us under no more or no less pressure going down to play Kilkenny as we were under before this,” said Helebert. “It is a big game for us going down to Nowlan Park on Sunday and we have to turn up fresher and a good bit smarter than we did [against Waterford].

“I mean, a feature of our game [last Sunday] was that we were not good in possession and we weren’t good with our use of the ball and that was a disappointment for us given the way we had been hurling up to this point.” Helebert believed, though, that the Tribesmen must learn from the defeat or “it is of no value”.  

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