Rout of U-21s makes bad summer even worse for Galway

Inside Track with John McIntyre

THERE was an air of weary resignation among the handful of Galway supporters departing Thurles last Saturday evening. They had headed to Semple Stadium far more in hope than confidence about the county U-21 hurlers’ prospects of dethroning All-Ireland champions Clare in the first place, but still wouldn’t have imagined that their team could be made appear so ordinary and so second class.

It proved a humbling experience, especially as there was no shortage of senior club experience on the Galway team. Commitment wasn’t the issue; it was just that the challengers didn’t possess the quality or skill to halt Clare’s burgeoning progress this summer. Coming in cold wouldn’t have helped them either but they can have no complaints about a 12-point defeat.

The previous month at the same venue, the county’s seniors had also come up well short against the Banner, further underpinning the reality that Clare hurling in general is now in a far better place compared to Galway. Apart from possessing obviously more technically gifted individuals, it’s also clear that the expertise behind Clare’s conditioning and coaching is in a different league too.

Few would have imagined this scenario approaching half-time in last year’s drawn All-Ireland senior final when Galway were seven points clear and threatening to repeat their barnstorming provincial triumph over Kilkenny. Sadly, it’s been basically downhill ever since and the convincing weekend dismantling of the county U-21s is only adding to the existing widespread sense of gloom.

In the space of a few months, Galway have lost their way completely. Two of the U-21s, Jonathan Glynn and Conor Cooney, were in action against Clare on both days, but were unable to really step out from the crowd. Contrast their influence with Clare players of a similar age profile like David McInerney, Tony Kelly, Colm Galvin and Podge Collins and you immediately see that they have emerged as leaders and game breakers much more quickly.

Frankly, these are worrying times for Galway hurling. About six of the team which featured in the senior quarter-final against Clare are past their prime; there remains an unhealthy dependence on Joe Canning up front; most of the central positions have no stability; and the jury is out about some of the squad’s younger brigade. The euphoria in Croke Park last July 12 months has long since dissipated.

U-21 manager Johnny Kelly defended his corner to the media after the heavy loss to Clare at the weekend. They would all have worked their socks off over the past few months and team coach Dinny Cahill is the ultimate sideline warrior, but could their toil have been more judiciously employed. In any event, Galway weren’t nearly good enough although the vast majority of the team are under-age again in 2014.

With Mattie Kenny having already stood down as senior coach and team boss Cunningham under pressure to hold onto his post, there is a lot of uncertainty out there at present. Cahill, Kelly, Tony Keady, the third member of the U-21 management, Kenny, Cunningham and Tom Helebert have all invested a big personal effort during the year and while there is always sniping when a team falls, managements are too often the fall guys in this county.

There is a talent deficit at present as underlined by those recent results, but are Galway as professional as they need to be? Is there enough finance being made available for team preparation? When you look at the numerical strength of their backroom teams and the scope of the resources at the disposal of Clare and Dublin hurlers, for instance, the answer is a resounding no.

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