System does Galway few favours as U-21s exit the title race

Limerick 1-20

Galway  0-17

NORMALLY it takes an exceptional Galway U-21 hurling team to defy the odds of coming in cold to an All-Ireland semi-final, but the 2015 Tribesmen edition wasn’t one of those despite the headline acts in their forward line.

In losing on their championship debut for the fourth year running at Semple Stadium on Saturday evening, Galway can no complaints about bowing out to a fired-up Limerick outfit whose achievement in emerging from Munster may have been under-estimated.

Though a number of the Galway team had lined out in the county’s recent successful intermediate campaign, those run of games were played at much lower intensity and pace, leaving them poorly prepared for Limerick’s ferocity and quality which was highlighted by a dominant half-back-line.

Granted, the Galway forward division contained three of the stars from the seniors’ epic triumph the previous Sunday, but it can’t have been easy for Jason Flynn, Cathal Mannion and Conor Whelan to adjust their focus so quickly after the highs of Croke Park.

That scenario also did Galway no favours, but less we think that they are the only victims of a fixtures calendar which appears to ‘squeeze in’ U-21 matches, Waterford’s plight in Munster was even worse as they fell to Clare in Ennis just three days after several of the team had lined out in the provincial senior final.

Still, it is now incumbent on Galway GAA officials to do more than agitate about the manner in which the Leinster Council chooses which Tribesmen teams can ply their trade in the province. The seniors and intermediates are welcome, but the minors and U-21s continue to be victimised. Either all Galway teams are in, or they are all out. The Leinster Council can’t have it both ways.

With their preparations again compromised, it was no surprise that Galway were off the pace and prone to fumbling early on. They trailed by 0-10 to 0-4 after 18 minutes as the men in maroon struggled with Limerick’s tempo and the deployment of Cian Lynch as a third midfielder.

To Galway’s credit, however, they bravely rallied to such an extent that they had Limerick’s lead wiped out by the interval despite continuing major difficulties under their own puck outs, several of which were misplaced by goalkeeper Gearóid Loughnane.

In the circumstances, Galway needed a big shift from their high profile players and tough Flynn troubled the Limerick defence at times, Mannion just couldn’t get into the game and was laboured in possession, while Whelan’s only score came five minutes from the end.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.