No magic recipe to Galway success, insists keeper James Skehill

By Declan Rooney

Galway hurling goalkeeper James Skehill says there is no magic recipe for the county’s recent success as hard work paves the way for a crack at back-to-back All-Ireland titles.

Skehill has been ever-present for Galway this season as last year’s stopper Colm Callanan struggles to shake off a series of muscle injuries, but the Cappataggle man has been a steadying force for Galway between the posts thus far.

First choice under Anthony Cunningham during Galway’s run to the 2012 All-Ireland final, Skehill, 29, had fallen behind Callanan in the pecking order in recent years, but he has put his mark on the Galway number one shirt so far this season.

He has conceded nine goals in Galway’s five 2018 championship games to date, and w ith his colleagues up front in red-hot form, he is happy to have the chance at appearing in another All-Ireland final — if they manage to beat Clare this weekend.

“It’s another task. It’s grand to get that Leinster title. We faced that and we picked up a lot of flack for reasons unknown, in my opinion. It’s under our belt now and it’s onto the next step and on to Croke Park again,” said Skehill.

“It might sound cliché but it’s a process. Every game is a process. When we entered the last quarter against Kilkenny, it’s just a matter of keeping the ball, keep opening space, keep working hard, keep our attitudes right, and the rest will be history.

“There’s no magic potion or anything like that or any magic plan. It’s just keep doing the basics right and doing them repetitively.”

Seven years have passed since Skehill last played against Clare in the hurling championship — a 4-25 to 0-20 win over the Banner in a qualifier in Salthill. Since then he has had to watch from the sidelines as Clare took the win in 2013 en route to their last All-Ireland success, and in 2016 when Galway won out.

Back in 2012 Galway fell just short of the ultimate prize when Kilkenny defeated them in a replayed All-Ireland final, a day that Skehill started despite dislocating his shoulder in training the week of the replay. This summer it was Galway that took the win on day two with the Cats to set up this last-four tussle.

“You’re not going to cake-walk every game. You’ve got serious, serious sides and if you think Kilkenny or Tipperary or these are going to go away. It’s not going to happen.

“They started strong in the second half and they got two poxy goals then which will cut any lead into half.

“But we have full belief in our squad and we finished out strong and our replacements came in and finished well. We were prepared for the challenge of the second half and that’s why we didn’t panic under pressure.”