Great chance for under-fire Galway to silence their critics in big clash with Clare
THERE’S no place for Galway hurlers to hide now. Their perceived limitations and lack of bottle publically ridiculed by former team manager Ger Loughnane in the wake of their Leinster Final eclipse by Kilkenny, it’s time to walk the walk and show the type of steel some critics believe they don’t have.
Loughnane’s put downs were both humiliating and grossly unfair, but Galway now have the opportunity to show that they are made of sterner stuff when taking on Clare in Sunday’s All-Ireland Championship quarter-final at Semple Stadium, Thurles (4pm).
The fact that it’s Loughnane’s own county Galway have the chance to disprove his “gutless” insult is no harm, but emotion alone will not see the Tribesmen turn the tables on the Banner from their championship clash at the same venue three years ago.
Tactically, Galway have to be tuned-in. What plan have they to cope with Clare’s style of play – a crowded midfield area and attacking from deep? How will they deal with the opposition’s runners, notably Tony Kelly and Podge Collins? And how will they use the likely loose man in their own rearguard?
The Micheál Donoghue-led management will also be under some pressure to get their own line-up right. The perception that they had too many players of the same big build in the forward line against Kilkenny offers scope to mix it up with someone of smaller stature who darts onto the breaks. Would Davy Glennon come into that equation or even Brian Molloy? What about last year’s semi-final match-winner Shane Moloney?
Ironically, Galway could do with more of a physical presence around midfield and though the backline fought like tigers for long periods against Kilkenny, a couple of them were too laboured in clearing their lines. Is the swift-striking Eanna Burke an option here?
At least, fears of Daithi Burke sustaining a broken finger in the Leinster Final have been allayed while the fact the Galway players had to return to their clubs for county championship action may have been no bad thing in helping to clear their heads for the battle with Clare.
Donoghue needs no prompting about what’s at stake on Sunday. “It’s a huge game and we will need to produce our best performance of the year to reach the semi-finals. We will need to hit the ground running.”
For more, see this week’s Galway City Tribune.