Galway aim to bounce back against Cork

ONLY a series of mathematical miracles will rob Kilkenny and Clare of an Allianz NHL Final meeting.

Although Galway or Tipperary could theoretically make the decider, the Westerners’ manager Conor Hayes admitted: “It looked like from the start that both Clare and Kilkenny were going to stay winning and that’s the way it’s probably going to continue.’’

Tomorrow, his side face All-Ireland champions Cork, and for both Hayes and John Allen, the championship is coming into focus. For the Tribesmen, there is less of an immediacy than for Cork, who take on Waterford on May 22, but it is a priority nonetheless.