O’Neill talks up Galway’s credentials

CORK defender Shane O’Neill says he and his team-mates have had an eye on Galway all year, citing the Tribesmen’s defeat of Clare in the All-Ireland senior hurling qualifiers as proof of their quality.

O’Neill and company face Galway in the qualifiers at Semple Stadium tomorrow night, and the Bishopstown clubman is quick to pay tribute to the western outfit.

“You’d always have them in mind because they’re such a good team, and most of us would have seen how good they were last Saturday night against Clare,’’ O’Neill said.

“What struck me was how hard they fought for each other – no team would be keen on going down to Ennis to take on Clare in the championship but they did very well.

“Last year we played Dublin at the same stage as Clare-Galway last weekend, and we played poorly, but we turned it round and did well the following week against Galway. Maybe they’ll do the same and improve on last weekend when it comes to tomorrow night.”

Cork triumphed against Galway last year despite playing the entire second half without goalkeeper Donal Óg Cusack, red-carded before the interval. However, O’Neill sees no great psychological advantage accruing to Cork from the win ahead of tomorrow’s game.

“I’d say it’s something people talk about the build-up but once it comes to tomorrow night that’ll be everybody’s focus.

“Last year we had a good win but they’ll come out all guns blazing tomorrow night – it’s all about this year and this season now and that’s how they’ll approach it, I’m sure.”

O’Neill is more focused on specific Galway qualities, such as their hard work when not in possession.

“We were talking about that – they look a very strong team physically, and their forwards in particular have been working very hard to keep the opposing backs under pressure when it comes to clearing the ball, for instance.

“Any time a Clare back got the ball last weekend he got almost no time to get in a clearance, and that was down to the work of the Galway forwards. I’m sure they’ll be doing the same tomorrow night – they seem to have gelled very well this year. I don’t know how things were for them last year but certainly this year they’ve got a very good spirit.”

CORK are taking positives from their last outing, a win over Offaly.

“We were happy with that win,” said O’Neill. “I wouldn’t say we were worried going up there but we knew we’d be seriously challenged by Offaly, and we were.

“The result was the main thing going up and were under fair pressure in the first half – fair enough, we were playing against the wind but we got our game together in the second half and tagged on a few scores.

“We were happy enough with it from that point of view but we had enough to be concentrating on, and that’s what we’ve focused on for the last couple of weeks in training.”

The return of former Young Hurler of the Year Brian Murphy is another help, says O’Neill.

“It’s a massive boost. Not only because he’s a great player but because it increases the competition for places. We feel there are five or six players in line for the full-back positions and five or six for the half-back line, and making it hard for the selectors to pick the team is a very good sign for us.”

Extra games have helped the newcomers to the Cork full-back line develop their understanding with each other.

“I would have known Eoin (Cadogan) since I was 15 or 16 and would have played with and against him at underage level with Cork,” said O’Neill.

“I’d have played with Conor O’Sullivan in the Fitzgibbon with UCC, so maybe Shane (Murphy) was a guy I hadn’t played with, but we would have been training together for the last few years anyway with Cork, so you’d get to know a guy’s style of play that way anyway.”