Gloves off as Galway face daunting battle in Wexford

THE first big challenge of Henry Shefflin’s management awaits him at Wexford Park (4pm) on Saturday evening when Galway take on the home team in their opening round-robin fixture of the Leinster Hurling Championship.

After all the hype generated by his stunning appointment last October, the Kilkenny legend knows only too well that what has happened under his reign so far – a mixed bag of results – has already been parked ahead of his championship debut with Galway.

Though three teams will emerge from the six-team group, Shefflin is also aware that if Galway fall to Wexford, their expected passage to the knock-out stages will have run into unexpected early headwinds.

Galway are strong favourites and while that mantle may have something to do with Wexford’s implosion in the recent league semi-final against Waterford when they conceded five goals in a heavy defeat, Saturday’s fixture has danger written all over it for the Tribesmen.

No matter what 15 Galway put on the field, there is going to be a significant change in personnel from last year’s championship. Joe Canning and Aidan Harte have since retired; while Shane Cooney, Adrian Tuohey and Jason Flynn are all sidelined by injury.

That background confirms Galway’s transitional status, but they still have a hardcore of players who ended the county’s All-Ireland title famine in 2017, notably 2022 captain Daithí Burke, Gearóid McInerney, the Mannion brothers, Cathal and Padraic, Joseph Cooney, Conor Whelan and Conor Cooney.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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