Jamesie O'Connor column: Warning signs for Galway
Tuesday 28 May 2019 14:06, UK
Sky Sports analyst Jamesie O'Connor reviews Galway's draw with Wexford in the Leinster Hurling Championship...
There are big warning signs for Galway on Sunday. For a team who were All-Ireland champions two years ago, and were beaten in the final last year, who have massive big-game experience, All-Ireland medals in their back pockets, they're a team bereft of confidence at the moment.
They just don't seem to have an established pattern of play. Conor Whelan was clearly causing problems for the Wexford defence, but the Tribesmen just couldn't find a way of getting the ball into him.
You know the way Tipp are going to play. You know how Limerick will set up. But you couldn't say Galway have a clear identity at the moment.
They still have a lot of good players, but they've put themselves in a hole. They've got to go to Nowlan Park. We know that Kilkenny will want to atone for Salthill and the Leinster final last year. There'll be nothing soft in that one.
It looks now like Galway are going to have to get something out of the Dublin game in Parnell Park on June 15.
Tricky conditions
I was at the game in Salthill, and walked across the field after full-time. It was only when you were down by the pitch-side that you appreciated the severity of the wind and how awkward it made it for both teams.
It definitely had a big impact on the game.
It certainly explains some of the wides that you don't normally expect from teams. Tipp hit 2-28 and 2-30 in their first two games, Sunday's game in Pearse Stadium finished 0-16 apiece.
It was just one of those games. Wexford didn't score in the first 20 minutes, and had hit 10 wides before the break.
You just thought, 'this is going to come back and haunt them'. You can't hit those wides in 35 minutes of hurling at this level and expect to get away with it.
But Galway didn't kick on.
At half time, there was only six in it, and Davy Fitzgerald would have been delighted given the circumstances. The Yellowbellies felt they could still get a result, and that's exactly what happened.
Galway were steeped in luck to get a draw, to be honest about it.
Cathal Dunbar had a glorious goal chance at the end. Jack O'Connor set him up, he was 14 yards out and only had Colm Callanan to beat. He probably had a lot more time than he thought. He could have taken a couple of steps and blasted it, but he hit it into the ground. But fair play to Callanan for making a great save.
That was the game there and then. Even after that, Lee Chin had a chance, so Wexford will be bemoaning the opportunity that was there to put Galway away. They didn't take it.
If you had offered them the draw on the way into Pearse Stadium, I'd say they'd have bitten your hand off for it. But certainly, Galway were absolutely there for the taking.
I still think Micheál Donoghue's side can get through Leinster. They still have top players, and will get better.
But they don't seem to have found anyone new this year either, in terms of talent bursting through from underage. We know the success at minor and U21 that they've had, but it's not as if they have a bunch of young lads screaming and putting their hands up to get on this team.
Essentially, it's the same panel of players that Donoghue had two years ago. They were All-Ireland champions in 2017, they were beaten in the final last year.
But at the moment, would you be confident they'd beat Kilkenny? No.
Would you be confident that they'd beat the top Munster teams? No.
If anything, they've regressed from last year. But it's early days. You'd still fancy them to beat Dublin in Parnell Park if they had to.
You don't want to be in that position, but that's where they find themselves.
