New Galway boss keeps things in perspective after easy victory over Cork
THE Galway senior hurlers will look to build on their opening round victory over Cork when they face Dublin on Saturday (7pm) under floodlights at Parnell Park in round two of the National League.
The six-day turnaround from the six-point defeat of the Rebels at Pearse Stadium last Sunday, isn’t ideal, admitted manager Micheál Donoghue, but the winning momentum is welcome.
“The mood is good and it gave us confidence,” he said. “It’s a very competitive league so it’s good to get the win and the two points.”
Another positive is an assessment of the squad at a recovery session Monday showed no fresh injuries from the weekend’s action.
Daithi Burke (wrist), who was named to start at full-back, was a late withdrawal after failing a fitness test prior to throw-in. It was unclear midweek whether he would be fit enough to be named in the starting XV that will be announced after training Thursday night; although his replacement John Hanbury was solid.
Elsewhere, Galway U21 and Kilnadeema/Leitrim club man, Brian Molloy, who was named among the substitutes in the programme, was replaced in the match-day squad by Gort’s Richie Cummins. Molloy picked up an AC joint injury that will sideline him for several weeks. Iarla Tannian is nursing a knock but should be available for the third game of the league in March away to Kilkenny.
Galway’s forward unit in particular sparkled against Cork, who afforded far too much leeway and space to their opponents. That the Tribesmen had the guile and class to exploit the spaces to punish the visitors was the most pleasing aspect of the 1-27 to 1-21 win.
And even though Dublin were beaten out the gap by Tipperary last Saturday night (the final score in Thurles was Tipperary 1-23 to Dublin’s 0-12) Donoghue says the Leinster men pose a big threat.
“Dublin beat us by nine points three weeks ago and that score definitely flattered us in the performance we had that day. We need an improvement to overturn that. It’s a huge task going up to Parnell Park and we’re well aware of that but we’re looking forward to that,” said the Clarinbridge man.
It is quite legitimate for the manager to point to the most recent meeting between these sides, in the Walsh Cup, but the line-ups this Saturday will bear little resemblance to those that featured in January.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.