Daly sweats over fitness of damaged Dubs

DUBLIN hurling manager Anthony Daly hopes injuries sustained in his side’s win over Wexford in the Leinster SHC semi-final last Saturday clear up before they play Kilkenny in the provincial decider, but there isn’t much time for recovery.

“We only have a couple of weeks and there’re a fair few bangs,” said Daly yesterday. “You really only have three training sessions.

“Alan McCrabbe had a scan yesterday, while Liam Ryan we took a chance on last Saturday. It would have been tempting to throw him in but the advice was that he could last 15 minutes last weekend but his injury could go again, whereas if we didn’t use him he might be okay for the final.

“That worked out, so he should be available. We might play Ross O’Carroll in the intermediate game on Wednesday night, he mightn’t last the full game but he’d be a good option off the bench.

“Ronan Fallon is definitely out, though, and Alan (McCrabbe) is doubtful, which would be an unbelievable blow. Dotsy (David O’Callaghan) should be okay, but he won’t be able to train for the two weeks because of his shoulder.”

Daly said the draw had been kind to Dublin.

“Colm Bonnar and Wexford would have wanted to get us as Galway and Kilkenny would have been seen as the big two – from our point of view and Wexford’s we’d have both been happy with the draw fro the semi-final. There wouldn’t have been much between Wexford and Dublin in the last couple of years, and new management on both sides probably brought something different to it as well.

“They’d probably had better preparation with the Offaly game while we didn’t handle Antrim as well as we might have, so it was probably 50-50.

“We got a good start, they had to work hard to get back to parity but I knew we’d have another spell when we were on top. Our backs were solid, and to have any chance against Kilkenny your backs must be very solid.”

Daly is used to the hype surrounding breakthrough teams, having led Clare out of the wilderness in 1995. Dublin’s first provincial appearance in 18 years is somewhat different territory.

“I’m a small bit removed, living in Ennis, but I’d say in Dublin there’d be a fair bit of anonymity for the lads, but that applies to other players, too. Certainly, even working with RTÉ, you’d be hard pushed to recognise hurlers without their helmets.

“The Kilkenny lads would be well known, but how about other teams? I wouldn’t have a clue who many of them are – any inter-county hurler who doesn’t wear a helmet and mask is instantly recognisable.”

The Dublin boss is happy for the genuine Dublin hurling supporter.

“I’d like people to come to the Leinster final but the diehards who came to Nowlan Park and who followed us through the league are the people I’d be concerned about. The people who only turn up for finals wouldn’t bother me, no more than they did when I played with Clare.

“I’d have massive time for the 7,000 faithful from Clare who turned up for the 1995 Munster final even though we were beat in the two previous finals. They weren’t afraid to be there. I wouldn’t have been as concerned with the 40,000 who were looking for All-Ireland final tickets that September. That would always have been my way.

“I’d take criticism from the genuine diehards but not a fella who watches the hurling on TV in the golf club after a round and then starts looking for a ticket.”

He’s realistic about their chances against the Cats.

“We don’t have the resources Kilkenny have – we don’t have TJ Reid or Richie Hogan to bring on – and we’re up against it.

“Saturday night was as good a battle as Kilkenny have had, but Tullamore is a provincial venue, you can close down the space there to an extent you couldn’t in Croke Park.

“Kilkenny love Croke Park and nobody’s played there more, apart from the Dublin footballers. Look at the pace they have – Larkin, Brennan, Reid. Incredible.

“I could go around saying ‘we’ve no chance’, and maybe realistically we have very little chance, but there is a chance. There’s always hope in a two-horse race. We’ll be going out to play to our best. If we can look at ourselves on Sunday night and say we gave our best and gave a good performance, then I’ll be happy enough.

“If we got all the breaks – and a good ref – miracles have been known to happen!”