Walsh has a tough task to make Galway strong again

Inside Track with John McIntyre

WITH virtually all of the post All-Ireland championships focus locally on the Galway hurlers as a result of the players’ heave against team manager Anthony Cunningham, it’s almost slipped under the radar that the county footballers endured another season of mediocrity amid few real signs that an upturn in fortunes is imminent.

In the hurlers’ defence, at least they reached the All-Ireland final and if their new sideline supremo can hit the ground running, broken bridges could be mended quickly. Unfortunately, the Galway footballers remain in something of a rut despite the feelgood factor generated by Kevin Walsh’s appointment last winter.

The Tribesmen again failed to win promotion from Division Two, although those efforts would have been hampered by the unavailability of their Corofin contingent during the club’s great run to All-Ireland glory. Still, home National League defeats to Cavan and Laois were demoralising and illustrated the county’s current middle-of-the-road status.

Subsequently, Galway inflicted a heavy defeat on minnows Leitrim in the Connacht Championship, but were again unable to end their current summer misery against Mayo in the provincial semi-final despite a first half rocket from Gary Sice at Pearse Stadium. The hosts managed another goal from Danny Cummins, but were still four points adrift (1-15 to-2-8) at the finish. They couldn’t handle Aidan O’Shea and though spirited to the end, lacked the champions’ physicality and cutting edge.

To Galway’s credit, they regrouped to record qualifier victories over Derry (at home) and Armagh (away) and when they then retired on level terms against Donegal at half time at Croke Park, they appeared to have every chance of claiming a major scalp for the first time in years and, in the process, end the team’s wretched run of results at GAA headquarters.

Unfortunately, Galway were ten points adrift at the finish of that final qualifier encounter in early August . . . and we haven’t seen them since. The dawning of each new season normally brings fresh hope, but realistically it’s difficult to see where the scope is for the men in maroon to make the necessary improvement given the current resouces available to the team management.

Furthermore, both Micheal Lundy and Johnny Duane are unlikely to be available next year after departing for the United States, while some key players such as Finian Hanley and Sice are not getting any younger. Against that background, Galway need Shane Walsh, whose summer campaign in 2015 was admittedly seriously disrupted by a traffic accident, to step up and become the player he promised to be in 2014.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.