Injury bombshell as Galway lose two key players
Date Published: 31-May-2012
By Stephen Glennon
PROLIFIC sharpshooter Joe Canning and defender David Collins – both of whom were injured in a challenge against Clare on Monday evening – are major doubts for Galway’s Leinster senior hurling championship quarter-final against Westmeath at Cusack Park, Mullingar on Sunday (3:30pm).
The Galway management has not given up hope on the two being fit for the low-key clash against the Midlanders but sources close to the squad believe Canning and Collins will not be in a position to line out given the extent of their injuries and could, in fact, struggle to make the Leinster semi-final, assuming there is no shock result in Mullingar.
Canning suffered a recurrence of the shoulder injury he sustained playing with Limerick IT in the Fitzgibbon Cup in February – an injury that sidelined him for two months – and although it is understood that the injury may not be as severe, it will still take him several weeks to recover.
For Collins’ part, it is believed he had been suffering some discomfort in his ankle prior to the Clare challenge game – which, in typical derby fashion, there appears to be some debate over the result – and Monday’s outing simply aggravated the ailment.
In any event, given both men play vital roles in the present Galway set-up, their injuries at this time will be of great concern to the management. “We are giving them all the time we can,” says Cunningham. “We are training tonight (Wednesday) and we are training on Friday night, so we will probably not finalise the team until then.”
Already, Galway midfielder Barry Daly will miss the opening round of the Leinster championship due to a groin injury. Cunningham confirmed that the Clarinbridge stickman has been forced to withdraw from the squad for the time being with the injury although the Galway management will be keeping a close eye on his progress.
Either way, the Galway team that faces Westmeath on Sunday will be a lot different to that which defeated the Lake County 4-17 to 2-14 in the corresponding fixtures in 2011. In all, five players – Damien Joyce, who captained the side, John Lee, Adrian Cullinane, Joe Gantley and Aonghus Callanan – are no longer with the Galway squad, while, presumably, current members Daly, Canning and Collins will not take part in the tie.
It also remains to be seen who will be handed the No. 1 jersey following Fergal Flannery’s fine performance between the posts in the Division 1A relegation play-off against Dublin and, subsequently, for Padraig Pearses in the club championship. He may just have done enough to keep out Cappataggle’s James Skehill.
In truth, the majority of the side that defeated Dublin 4-21 to 0-19 in the National League play-off replay in late April should be available, including full-back Kevin Hynes, captain Fergal Moore, in-form midfielder David Burke, centre-forward Niall Burke, the tireless Cyril Donnellan and the wily Damien Hayes.
It is also reported that a number of other players are going very well in training at the moment, including Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry defender Paul Gordon, while you have only to look at the club championship to see the tallies St. Thomas’ Conor Cooney (1-24) and Liam Mellows’ Tadgh Haran (2-16) have been putting up to see the form those players are in.
For more, read this week's Galway City Tribune.