Farragher admits Smith is ‘a big loss’

GER FARRAGHER has described Andy Smith as ‘a big loss’ to the Galway hurlers ahead of their Leinster semi-final with Offaly but the midfielder is adamant the westerners have capable replacements.

The Portumna star received a red card for a frontal challenge on Wexford’s Colm Farrell during the provincial quarter-final in Nowlan Park two weekends ago and manager John McIntyre subsequently signalled his intent to appeal the decision.

Galway never did, however, and McIntyre will hope the half-forward has a provincial final to look forward to once his suspension expires.

“He is a big loss,” Farragher admitted of Smith in Dublin yesterday. “He is the best worker on the team by a mile. He definitely will be a loss but, as you saw from the league final, we have lads to come in. Even the last day (against Wexford) Kevin Hynes came in and got a great goal. Kevin Hayes is back from injury so there is a lot of competition for places as well, which will benefit the side.”

Farragher’s re-emergence in a midfield role this year has been symbolic of Galway’s regeneration and he was in Dublin yesterday to earn his second straight Opel/GPA hurler of the month award, which is an unique achievement.

These are good days then for a player who fell out of favour during Ger Loughnane’s time in charge. He wasn’t helped at the time by a back injury but that has merely whetted his appetite for a long overdue return to Croke Park on Sunday week.

For both player and county.

The Offaly game will be Galway’s first Leinster Championship tie at HQ and Farragher’s first since scoring eight points in the five-point All-Ireland final defeat to Cork in 2005.

“I know the lads played there (in 2007) under Ger Loughnane against Kilkenny and they were with them for about 60 minutes before they pulled away. It’s the place to play. You’re always looking forward to it. I can’t wait to get back to it.”

McIntyre will be hoping the grand surroundings lift his players after a less-than-satisfactory performance against Wexford in Nowlan Park that paled miserably next to their previous runout, against Cork, in the league final.

Farragher still isn’t 100% sure why that was.

“It was the first championship game for three or four boys and the championship is a lot different to the league. I know we didn’t produce half the performance we did against Cork. I don’t know why that was the case.

“Maybe it was nerves or whatever. We have a few things to work on from that game and hopefully we can put a few things right in two weeks’ time.”

Few will expect them to come a cropper against Offaly, who laboured to a fortunate extra-time win against Antrim at Parnell Park after a late Shane Dooley point saved their bacon towards the end of regular time.

Farragher won’t hear any talk of complacency. The Castlegar clubman is well versed in the midlanders’ capabilities having first crossed swords with the likes of Rory Hanniffy and Joe Brady when they were minors a decade ago.

“We expected them to beat Antrim by a bit more but they hit 17 wides and we hit 17 wides as well (against Wexford), but it might bring them on an awful lot the fact that it was so close. They know they have a point to prove against us and, from playing Offaly down through the years, I know they don’t fear playing Galway.”

Looming large above Galway – and Offaly – is the spectre of the reigning All-Ireland champions. A Galway-Kilkenny Leinster final has been flagged since the draw was made late last year but Farragher isn’t biting on that just yet.

“Not really. John wants us to take every game as it comes. At the start of the year we were thinking about May 29 and Wexford and we got over that and now we’ll look at Offaly. All it is now is Offaly in a couple of weeks time.”