Galway very hard to beat when the hurling is loose

Inside Track with John McIntyre

YOU’D be questioning the merit of inter-county players slogging their guts out in the gym, together with the odd strenuous field session, during the months of November and December after Galway hurlers’ comfortable victory over Cork in the opening round of the National League at Pearse Stadium last Sunday.

With little more than a month’s preparation behind them after the belated appointment of Michéal Donoghue as team manager, the anticipation was that Galway would be at a significant disadvantage, especially in the early stages of the league, but instead they hit the ground running with a purposeful display which maintained the county’s recent mastery over the Rebels.

The hosts produced a highly energetic and vibrant effort, leaving one to conclude that freshness or appetite for big matches should never be under-estimated. What Galway achieved in getting their league campaign off to a heartening start is hardly going to change the way managers flog their players during the winter months, but it is at least food for thought.

Of course, it will be interesting to see how the rest of the league pans out for Galway, but Donoghue, Francis Forde and Noel Larkin must have been impressed by the application of their players, with the fit-again Niall Burke and the recalled Davy Glennon making big impressions up front on a day midfielder David Burke took to the role of captain like a duck to water.

The St Thomas’ clubman was brilliant in the opening-half, spreading the ball around with an intelligence and crispness which Cork couldn’t handle. Burke also fired over three terrific points from play in the opening 35 minutes and, clearly, captaincy rests easily on his shoulders. Another highlight was the growing influence of Conor Whelan whose ability to secure possession in tight corners and under severe pressure stamps him as a player with almost limitless potential.

It was close to half-time before Whelan began to make an impact, but by the finish the beleaguered Cork backs must have been dreading the ball coming in his direction. With Joe Canning also in good form, and Padraig Breheny and Cathal Mannion paying their way in the half-line as well, the Galway forwards piled up the scores before a decent crowd of nearly 6,000.

Much interest would have centred on Galway’s starting line up, but apart from a recall for the feisty Paul Huban at left corner back and the inclusion of Adrian Diviney at midfield, the new management didn’t tinker too much with the resources available to them. It was still a bit of a surprise to see Cathal Mannion starting at centre forward, but he did well enough even if we still see him as a player who thrives on breaking ball and space.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.