New-look Galway building nicely but Lyng baffled by Cats flop

Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng was struggling to explain the performance in Salthill

Galway's Cian Daniels with Kilkenny's Eoin Cody. Picture: Inpho/John McVitty

Allianz HL Division 1A: Galway 0-35 Kilkenny 0-17 

For Kilkenny, the only solace is that they can scarcely be this poor again. An 18-point defeat has its context and the championship remains the real measure. Galway will know that better than anyone.

Three games in as many weeks, a physical affair against Cork previously, the bug in the camp, all part of the picture. Even still, manager Derek Lyng was struggling to explain this performance.

“It is hard to say. It was just we were flat, which is completely unlike us. But I have to credit the opposition,” he said.

“They were very good, they were fresh, they were hungrier. That is the most important thing. Hunger is everything in sport and they won every breaking ball. So that's within our control and we'll be very disappointed with that.”

Their starting inside forward line scored a single point. They were trailing 0-15 to 0-9 at half-time and ended up conceding 50 shots. The likes of T. J. Reid, Mikey Butler and Adrian Mullen will return and the need to get Huw Lawlor back from Australia is even greater after full-back Mikey Carey limped off with a hamstring injury. They face Tipperary next and will hope to have several bodies back.

“I don't know,” said Lyng afterwards. “Potentially maybe one or two, but I'm not sure yet. Like I said, we have had a few lads sick the last couple of weeks.

“It is going through the camp a little bit. That is not an excuse at all. Everybody that was out there today was fit, so that is not the way I'm saying it.

“We have a few lads that have been in long-term injuries that are coming back, whether they get back for the last match or not in the league, I don't know. I'm hoping they'll be back in action in the next three or four weeks anyway.” 

Meanwhile, Micheál Donoghue was satisfied. It wasn’t so much about avoiding relegation as it was backing up recent performances. Their forwards rotated throughout, Cathal Mannion fired six points from play while Aaron Niland took free-taking responsibility and hit 0-13. They came into the tie in danger of being sucked into a relegation scrap.

“I think when the league is on there is probably more focus on that outside of the group,” said Donoghue.

“For us it is just about building towards championship and working on what we have to work on and giving as many players as we can the opportunity to get some game time under the belt. That was our view and we've a week off now, we welcome that.” 

Galway have fully embraced the running and retreating game now. It pulled Kilkenny apart on Saturday. Some of their off-the-shoulder play was sublime. There were so many highlight-reel scores: Rory Burke from the sideline, Ronan Glennon from deep in his own half, Mannion’s six points from seven shots. Physically, they were imposing and kept the pace throughout. Every substitute that came in scored.

The style of play is taking shape. That brings its own challenges. The reward is the suffocating pressure which the home support in the 5,469 crowd greatly appreciated. The risk is injury. The likes of Gavin Lee, John Fleming, Fintan Burke, Cianan Fahy and John Cooney are currently sidelined, although Fintan Burke did the warm-up with the team beforehand. Daithi Burke is also out.

BAFFLED: Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

“Look, just what we're at, there is high attrition in it and watching lads. So it is just giving everyone an opportunity as well, do you know what I mean?

“We know where we want to go on it and it's just executing that every day we go out.

“He (Daithi Burke) is making good progress but genuinely we still haven't got a timeframe on it for him and John Fleming is long-term as well. So we still have a few knocks and the lads are working hard with the medical team.”

Their next home match is against Kilkenny in the Leinster championship but they will play Limerick in a fortnight before that. Everyone in Pearse Stadium understood that fixture will be no relation to this tie. At the same time, they saw a new-look outfit add another comfortable victory against Leinster opposition having logged two credible performances against Tipperary and Cork before that.

Building nicely.

Scorers for Galway: A. Niland 0-13 (0-8 frees, 1 65); C. Mannion 0-6; R. Burke 0-4 (1 sdl); T. Monaghan, C. Whelan 0-2 each; C. Cooney, T. Killeen, E. Niland, O. Lohan, J. Rabbitte, R. Glennon, P. Mannion, T.J. Brennan 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kilkenny: C. Kenny 0-10 (2 frees); E. Cody, L. Moore 0-2 each; T. Phelan, J. Donnelly, J. Molloy 0-1 each.

GALWAY: D. Fahy; J. Ryan, C. Trayers, K. Hanrahan; R. Glennon, P. Mannion, D. Morrissey; T. Killeen, C. Daniels; R. Burke, C. Mannion, D. Neary; T. Monaghan, C. Whelan, A. Niland.

Subs: C. Cooney for Neary, J. Rabbitte for Monaghan (53); T.J. Brennan for Morrissey (59); E. Niland for Burke (62); O. Lohan for A. Niland (63).

KILKENNY: A. Tallis; R. Garrett, M. Carey, I. Bolger; D. Blanchfield, D. Corcoran, P. Deegan; C. Kenny, J. Molloy; L. Moore, E. Cody, L. Connellan; N. Shortall, M. Keoghan, T. Phelan.

Subs: J. Donnelly for Connellan (29); I. Byrne for Moore (34-35, Temp); K. Doyle for Shortall (half-time); R. Reid for Deegan (46); S. Murphy for Carey (47); I. Byrne for Molloy (53).

Referee: C. Lyons (Cork).