'Very important' for Henry Shefflin and Galway to start National League on a high

Realistically, the margin of Galway’s victory was all that needed to be determined on a wintery afternoon. They both were able to look at what might develop down the track.

Galway manager Henry Shefflin after the Allianz Hurling League win over Offaly. Picture: Ray Ryan/Sportsfile

The two managers came through a similar pathway in Ballyhale and Kilkenny but the ambitions and targets of Henry Shefflin and Michael Fennelly going into this contest at Pearse Stadium in Salthill were vastly different.

Realistically, the margin of Galway's victory was all that needed to be determined on a wintery afternoon at the seaside venue.

“A lot of unforced errors in the first half, very disappointed with that,” said Fennelly. “I think we put ourselves in a lot of trouble when there was no need to. Galway are a very seasoned team, they’ve a very strong belief.

“I was hoping we’d break the 20-points mark and we got ourselves 17 points, Galway got 22 so I’d be happy with that to be honest.

“The four goals were a bit of a killer and they were threatening for goals, Conor Whelan inside there is probably one of the best forwards you’d play against and I’ve no doubt that they’ll do something similar to other teams as well.

“All in all, I think we learned a lot today and these are the teams that Offaly need to be playing to learn more, to get faster, and our speed of play has to improve which can’t happen without these games.”

A wonder goal from Gearoid McInerney, who soloed 70m from his half-back line and batted home a sublime finish which had Shefflin shaking his head on the sideline, summed up the somewhat bizarre nature of proceedings.

“It was a great goal, very impressed,” said Shefflin. “He got the opportunity, I thought he was going to take the point which I probably would have been happier with but he ended up going in and flicking to the net. It was just a brilliant score.

“That’s what we want the Galway team to start doing, backing themselves and going for it. I was delighted to see him going up and scoring a goal.”

Offaly were in trouble at the break, trailing 1-12 to 0-8. Galway fluffed several goal chances, including a penalty which Evan Niland drove wide, before McInerney soloed up to show his forwards how to do it. John Fleming got Galway’s second goal five minutes after the restart when he poked the ball home after more good work by the superb Conor Whelan and they pulled away from there.

Fleming set up Niland for Galway’s third goal while Eoghan Cahill did his utmost to keep Offaly in contention.

Donal O’Shea blasted home Galway’s fourth after being set up by Shane Ryan, son of former Galway star Eanna.

“I think starting the league on a positive note was very important for us, obviously getting a win, but more so it was probably the performance to be honest,” added Shefflin.

“I thought there was definitely a number of passages of play that were very good and a lot of the stuff we have been working on.”