Galway’s ‘long road’ will start in Laois

FAVOURED for the second successive year with the softer draw in the All-Ireland senior hurling qualifiers, the most difficult task facing Galway manager Conor Hayes this week has been to keep his team focused.

In a four-team group with Waterford, Westmeath and Laois, two to qualify for the All-Ireland quarter-finals, Galway are red-hot favourites to advance, the only battle anticipated being their clash with Waterford to decide who tops the group.

First up for Hayes and Galway is Laois in Portlaoise this evening. Given that Galway hammered them in the league (3-12 to 0-5, albeit in Pearse Stadium), that they beat them by 11 points in the qualifiers last year, his should be an easy one. Hayes, of course, can’t approach it like that. “It’s hard to know how Laois are this year, they weren’t great in the league, but we find it difficult to play against them in Portlaoise ... we had it tough enough against them there last year in the qualifiers.