Galway boss heaps praise on backs

GALWAY strong defensive display was among the positives manager Anthony Cunningham took from his side’s National Hurling League semi-final defeat to Kilkenny at a sun-kissed Gaelic Grounds in Limerick on Sunday.

With Walter Walsh, Colin Fennelly, TJ Reid and Henry Shefflin leading the Kilkenny attack, serious questions were always going to be asked of a new-look Galway defence that was anchored by Turloughmore brothers, Ronan and Daithí Burke.

Cunningham, though, believed his rearguard, which coughed up a tolerable 1-16, passed the test with flying colours. “You would have to be very happy. I think Daithí Burke had a tremendous game at centre-back while Ronan, his brother, had a really, really sound game at full-back,” began the Galway boss.

“Joseph Cooney then had a great game on Walter Walsh, who was taken off there. However, they are still going to have to accept that there will be bigger days ahead and we will continue to demand that level of performance from those guys every day because they have the ability.”

Given the manner in which the Galway attack lost its way against a stiff breeze in the second half, what further underlined the strength of the defence, which had kept Kilkenny scoreless for 18 minutes of the first period, was that they were able to submit a solid display without influential injured duo Fergal Moore and Iarla Tannian.

In any event, Cunningham conceded the Tribesmen must learn from this defeat, particularly as, if league form translates to championship, Kilkenny will more than likely be their opponents in the Leinster semi-final.

“Kilkenny have always had class players and every forward is able to hook and block and tackle and score,” observed the St. Thomas’ man. “Their work-rate is huge throughout the field and they are very, very skilful.

“There were a lot of block-downs and hooks there today. It is the pace of game; that is what guys learn most from and today was getting towards championship level.”

Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune