Niland in top form as Galway coast home!
WITHOUT an All-Ireland title in the grade since 2011 – a record long famine since the championship started 62 years ago – the latest generation of Galway U-20 hurlers are hardly burdened with major expectations.
But that doesn't give the boys in maroon a free pass in 2026, especially as their attack now includes two established seniors in Aaron Niland and Jason Rabbitte, who unfortunately had to retire injured at half-time with a tight hamstring in Portlaoise on Saturday evening.
Rabbitte hadn't made a scoring impact in those 30 minutes, but in mitigation Galway were facing a near gale which resulted in a wasteful Wexford – they amassed 14 wides in total – having a significant territorial advantage.
if it was an underwhelming evening for Rabbitte, Niland showed why he is arguably the hottest young property in the game. Already, he is drawing favourable comparison with the county's two greatest players of the modern era – the two Joe's, Cooney and Canning.
Niland amassed all but 1-5 of Galway's total. He completed a hat-trick of quality goals thanks to his sheer skill and athleticism, and there was a buzz in the small crowd of supporters everything he was on the ball.
This opening round of the Leinster championship marked Gavin Keary's first competitive outing as team manager and given the difficult conditions, a 14-point win over admittedly limited opposition was more than acceptable.
The writing was on the wall for Wexford when they trailed by 2-4 to 0-6 at the interval having been backed by the elements. Their inaccuracy – nine first half wides – let them down and they only managed a solitary score from play when Podge Doyle found the target in the 22nd minute. Otherwise, the Slayneysiders were exclusively reliable on Sean O'Brien's frees.
It was soon evident that Galway's ball carrying skills had the Wexford backs in trouble, with Niland, Brian Callanan, after a surging run, and Darragh Counihan all pointing inside seven minutes.
Wexford were struggling to make the strong wind behind them pay and when Callanan and Vince Morgan did the spadework for Niland to send a rasper to the net in the 11th minute, you already knew what the outcome would be.
Niland would add a second goal five minutes later, and another cracker it was too. Expertly fielding a Rabbitte sideline cut, he left his marker for dead before sending another bullet to the Wexford net.
With heavy bursts of rain adding to the hostile conditions, Wexford now needed a miracle in the resumption and they briefly gave their supporters some hope when O'Brien (free) and Jack Nolan split the posts to leave them just two points in arrears (2-4 to 0-8).
But it was a false dawn. Niland rediscovered his free-taking accuracy after missing three placed balls at the start of the half and when he flicked the sliotar to the net in the 45th minute after Counihan had registered his second point, it was truly game over.
Before the finish, Niland (four), substitute Ciaran Leen and Callanan tagged on points, with another reserve, Harry Holmes, one-handed flicking the sliotar to the net in 59th minute.
Wexford had earlier managed a goal of their own when O'Brien's low effort from a 20m free breeched the Galway cover, but they were second best for large periods in a game which apart from Niland's sorcery won't live too long in the memory.
Despite their comprehensive win, perhaps a worry for Galway was their dependence on Niland for scores as Counihan and Callanan were their only other players to register more than once.
It wasn't a day for making reputations, but Sean Moran caught the eye in midfield, while a solid Galway defence only conceded two scores from play. Corner back Sean Murphy was featuring prominently until injuring his shoulder in a successful challenge to deny Conor Fanning a goal chance in the 28th minute.
Next up for Galway is a visit to Hawfield on Saturday (2pm) to face unfamiliar opponents in Kildare – beaten 1-16 to 0-10 by Kilkenny in the opening round of the U-20 championship at the weekend.
GALWAY: C Callanan (Clarinbridge); S Murphy (Clarinbridge), M Fallon (Clarinbridge), D Quirke (Athenry); J Donnellan (Pearses), D Campbell (Cappataggle), G Maher (Loughrea); M Burke (Skehana-Mountbellew-Moylough), S Moran (Castlegar); L Kennedy (Ahascragh-Fohenagh), D Counihan (0-2, Craughwell), J Rabbitte (Athenry); A Niland (3-8, 0-7 frees, Clarinbridge), B Callanan (0-2, Ardrahan), V Morgan (Loughrea). Subs: C Maloney (Ballygar) for Murphy (inj. 28), C Leen (0-1, Craughwell for Rabbitte (inj. half-time), G King (Castlegar for Quirke (44), T Blake (Oranmore-Maree) for Fallon (53) and H Holmes (1-0, Ballygar) for Kennedy (56).
Wexford: P Quigley; R Donohoe, N Furlong, C Ryan; J Ryan, C Doyle, C Roark; D Daly-O'Toole, R Shanon; T Dempsey, C Carley, J Nolan (0-1); P Doyle (0-1, S O'Brien 1-6, all frees), C Fanning. Subs: R Doran for Dempsey (44); S Hyland for Shannon (46), D Ryan for Fanning (50) and J Young for Donohue (50).
Referee: T Gleeson (Dublin).