Walsh warns Galway must improve for home qualifier test against Derry

IT’S not a time for navel gazing . . . the action in the qualifiers comes around too fast for that . . . and since Monday morning last, the focus of Galway footballers will have been on the 3B clash with Derry on Saturday (5pm) in Pearse Stadium.

At least the gruelling prospect of another trip north was taken out of the equation when the draw was made on Monday morning, and Galway will be hoping that local soil and a decent home following, can get them over the line by about 6.30 on Saturday evening.

Galway manager, Kevin Walsh, while satisfied with the commitment and effort shown in the 1-12 to 0-12 win over Armagh last Sunday in the Athletic Grounds, won’t need any reminding that a higher level of performance will be needed against a team that played Division One football this year.

Brian McIver’s team may have been relegated from Division One, but they still mixed it with the top sides in the country during the Spring, and that’s always a plus for a championship campaign to come.

Derry on home soil, though weren’t exactly over-taxed in their qualifying match last weekend against Wexford, but they do have genuine championship form as they showed when running All-Ireland contenders Donegal to two points (1-9 to 0-10) in the Ulster semi-final.

The biggest threat from Derry seems likely to come from their forward pairing of Eoin Bradley and Cailean O’Boyle, a partnership that manager Brian McIver seemed quite excited about last weekend. On the other side of the coin, Galway will be happy enough with their tight defensive display against Armagh.

“We did a lot of things right against Armagh but there are also areas to work on and Derry will test us to the limit. At this time of the year, things move pretty quickly in the qualifiers, but our fate is in our own hands – the home venue is welcome – but we know that we have to step it up,” Walsh told Tribune Sport.

Crowd estimates for Saturday evening in Pearse Stadium vary between 5,000 and 8,000 but Galway Football Committee Secretary, Seamus O’Grady, has made a plea for a big home support at the Salthill venue.

“It is a busy weekend in Galway city and we are asking supporters to come early, but please make that effort to turn out. The players and management have put in a huge effort all year and deserve the support,” said O’Grady.

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