Acid test facing Galway hurlers in league semi-final

By Stephen Glennon

GALWAY senior hurling manager Anthony Cunningham insists the immediate target for his charges is to reach a National Hurling League decider as, if nothing else, the extra two weeks of competition following a semi-final win would provide renewed vigour to the Tribesmen’s preparations for the championship.

To achieve such an objective, Galway must first account for reigning NHL and All-Ireland champions Kilkenny in the penultimate stages of the National League at Semple Stadium, Thurles on Sunday (3:45pm). Easier said than done.

In any event, Cunningham maintains qualification for the knockout stages has already been useful in complementing their work on the training ground, reiterating it has helped to have a semi-final to work towards rather than languishing – like Waterford, who will not see competitive action again until the championship – in obscurity in this current time period.

In this regard, it was very important the Tribesmen secured a top three Division 1A finish. “Absolutely,” agrees Cunningham. “If you look at it, our last match was three weeks ago, so that has been an extra three weeks of work we have got with the players and if we reach the League final that will be another two weeks.

“So, that is excellent preparation for the championship which is only around the corner. If we win on Sunday, we will be playing up to May 5 and that is now a big, big target for us. There is a big difference (between a six week run-in to the championship and two months).”

The fact, also, that Sunday’s game against Kilkenny – a side whichhas brought both the best and worst out of Galway in recent years – thickens the plot although Cunningham is determined to sell this semi-final as just another game.

“We are looking forward to playing Kilkenny but it could be any of those teams – be it Kilkenny, Tipperary or any of those Division 1 teams. You always want to play the best, though, especially if you are a hurler who strives to be the best yourself,” he says.

Galway, however, will have to plan without centre-half forward Niall Burke against Kilkenny after the Oranmore/Maree sharpshooter had to undergo an operation on a calf injury.

Although Burke has been in and out of the team due to college commitments, there is no denying his quality as was evident in last year’s All-Ireland final, drawn game, when he tallied 1-2, including a crucial second half goal.

While Burke should make his return in the next couple of weeks, the wait will be somewhat longer for Craughwell’s Niall Healy who, having had surgery on a torn bicep, could be out for anything between two to four months.

Healy netted a great goal in Galway’s 3-11 to 0-17 victory over Kilkenny in their opening National League group game in late February but sustained his injury in a training game with the Galway squad last month. “It is unfortunate for Niall and it now looks as if he will be out for a while,” sympathises Cunningham.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.