No surprises as Galway make short work of dreadful Offaly

GALWAY’S almost spooky status as favourites to win the All-Ireland hurling title came under no threat in Portlaoise last Sunday. They were expected to run through a poorly-equipped Offaly outfit and that’s how it turned out despite failing to find the net.

It’s the fourth knock-out game in-a-row that the Tribesmen have cantered past the winning post in setting up a first ever Leinster showdown with resurgent Wexford, but we learned little new from their 19-point destruction of Offaly, whose fortunes are arguably at a modern-day low.

Despite an early Oisin Kelly goal, they had no answer to Galway’s skill, cohesion and physicality. Most neutral observers expected Offaly to get a trimming and that mood reflected in a modest attendance of only 6,300 at O’Moore Park. Those fans who turned up weren’t expecting any surprises and they didn’t get any.

Offaly understandably lined out very defensively and employed two sweepers at times, but it made no real difference such was the gulf in standard. Galway weren’t anything out of the ordinary and, yet, they just coasted to victory in a low-key provincial semi-final which contained a lot of loose hurling.

Though it’s a nagging worry that Galway didn’t find the net even against a packed defence, their level and range of point scoring more than compensated. Once again, Conor Whelan was on fire, raising seven white flags and repeatedly eluding the Offaly cover. Niall Burke, deputising for the injured Joseph Cooney, was another to stand out, hitting five points in making the most of his opportunity,

Shane Moloney, a first-half substitute for the injured Cathal Mannion, who had made a bright start, was also in the groove, picking off four points and, in the process, put himself in contention for a starting place in the Leinster final on Sunday week. Another feature of a one-sided contest was in-form wing backs, Padraic Mannion and Aidan Harte, landing five points between them.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.