Disappointment but Galway can get better

Galway came up just short in today's National Hurling League final but they made progress despite not lifting the title.
John Lee (above) had a great game at centre half while up front Damian Hayes had a great first half.
Joe Canning only began to get into the game just before the half time break when his sheer strength set up the first Galway goal. He was the pick of the Galway attack in the second half with a great solo goal which hauled his side back into the game.
However, if there was one thing which sums up the extra threat Canning brings to the Galway attack it was the pass inside for the second goal.
He was boxed in, tightly marked and yet he managed in a flash to pick out a team mate breaking inside, showing great vision and composure.
Kevin Hynes battled hard in the middle but Richie Murray despite one fantastic point in the first half was AWOL.
Iarla Tannion who has been one of the scoring heroes for the Tribesmen so far this season had a howler and was lucky not to be substituted in the first half.
Ger Loughnane will be worried about his full back line, they struggled for much of the game, too often second to the blistering pace of Corbett or not tight enough on Eoin Kelly.
However, the Clare man will look forward to the return of Ollie Canning to the defence and despite being shaded by Tipp he won't be too unhappy on the trip home.

Canning's debut doesn't disappoint

Ger Loughnane’s Galway hurlers put in a great performance to reach the League final beating Cork by four points.
The Rebels came storming back in the second half despite being 14 points down at the break but Loughnane’s team will take great heart out of this victory over the Rebels as Galway sides have traditionally found it hard to grind out any sort of win against the Leesiders.
Cork will take something out of the manner of their fight back.
They really ate into the Tribesmen’s lead and all their key players, Ó hAilpin. Curran and Gardiner piled the pressure on as the game wore on.
Ben O’Connor put in another great performance in but it was noticeable that almost all Cork’s top players were on the field when the game began to swing their way and I think this is a problem for the Rebels.
They have tried to give a lot of players game time during the league but I think it said a lot that they only seriously started to make headway when Ronan Curran, Joe Deane and Pa Cronin came on.
This could tell against them in the championship as it seems to indicate that their bench may not be up to the task of winning the Liam McCarthy.
Galway have a lot to be hopeful about. Ger Farragher has looked like the player of a couple of seasons ago in patches during the league.
Kevin Hynes and Richie Murray work hard in midfield but it was Portumna’s Joe Canning playing in his first senior game who lit up the afternoon.
He displayed power, great skill and awareness and played like a veteran.
His colleagues reaped rich awards from him and his point from a sideline cut in the second half was a very special effort.
It’s much too early to say whether the young man can reproduce this form in the white heat of the championship but it’s been a while since any young player made such an impact on his much-awaited debut.
It remains to be seen whether the Tribesmen can go on to build on this performance.
For after they play next week’s final they will be without a competitive game for more than six weeks as the Leinster and Munster sides slug it out in the championship.
This has to be a huge disadvantage and I think it has told against Galway sides in the last decade in the latter stages of big championship games.
However, should the Tribesmen go on to lift the league the psychological lift could make genuine contenders of them yet.