Galway v Clare
at Pearse Stadium Salthill, Saturday 7.30pm (Michael Kennedy, Tipperary)
The novelty factor alone should attract the largest crowd of the year to Pearse Stadium in Salthill for what is a first ever National Hurling League clash under lights between these near-neighbours.
Of course the derby factor alone is more than enough to intrigue most supporters, not to mind that Galway welcome the All-Ireland champions to their own doorstep.
Momentum too might sway some additional Tribesmen as what initially seemed a potential relegation four pointer isn’t as detrimental for the hosts anymore.
With Clare and Galway suffering opening round reverses albeit in contrasting circumstances, thoughts of Micheál Donoghue’s side rallying the troops sufficiently for a trip to Kilkenny wasn’t overly optimistic.
While Clare had been agonisingly edged out by the Cats in injury-time in Ennis, Galway were on the end of what was a flattering twelve point home roasting to a rampant Tipperary. However, 2017 All-Ireland winning Manager Donoghue simply closed ranks and discarded his vast experimentation operation to inject much more experience back into the side for what was a necessary reaction against Derek Lyng’s Kilkenny.
In total, Galway made ten…