Cathal Mannion left to plough lonely furrow for disappointing Galway

After their Leinster final defeat, Galway will face the winners of Tipperary and Laois in the All-Ireland quarter-finals. 

Cathal Mannion was the only name on the Galway scoresheet between the 17th and 59th minutes of the Leinster SHC final against Kilkenny. Pic: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane

Cathal Mannion’s scoring share stood at 31% coming into Croke Park. Significant, but not immediately suggesting an over-reliance. Skip ahead to the 59th minute of the Leinster final and Mannion found himself carrying an entire county on his back.

With no Galway score from play across the preceding 37 minutes, his five frees were their sole, insufficient source of nourishment in the interim. Two of those frees he won himself.