The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
“The longer we remain in the league, the better” said Galway manager Anthony Cunningham ahead of the 2013 campaign. The first round will see Galway entertain the league and All-Ireland champions, Kilkenny.
A magnificent display from the Tribesmen resulted in a first Leinster title success last season. They met again in the All-Ireland final and Galway was unlucky not to win at the first attempt. Kilkenny, inspired by Henry Shefflin, forced a draw before having the upperhand in the replay.
“We will be treating the league seriously. We don’t have a championship game until the middle of June so the league is very important for us,” the Galway manager told The Clare Champion.
“It was a very competitive league last year. We were within a puck of a ball of the semi-finals and we finished up fighting relegation. With just five games there is no room for error. It’s extremely tight. In the old system with eight teams, one could lose two or three games and still qualify for the play-offs,” according to the St Thomas clubman.
The Galway boss, who guided Garrycastle from Westmeath to the All-Ireland club football final two years ago, believes every team takes the league seriously in preparation for the championship.
“They all want to be playing in the top division all the time. A small thing can turn a game, a missed chance, a free. In the Tipperary game last year, we could have got something out of it.”
Cunningham accepts that Kilkenny, the title holders, will start as favourites.
“They are always going to be there, that has been their mantra. They take the league seriously.
“Tipperary, with Eamonn O’Shea in charge, will want to make a statement early on. Clare will be keen to add to the two U-21 All-Ireland wins of recent years and it’s a big year for them. Cork and Waterford will want to consolidate their positions so there will be nothing easy,” he added.
He acknowledged, “all over the country we are looked on as contenders for the All-Ireland but that doesn’t matter. It’s what we are saying and doing that’s important. We have to improve to win. We fell short of the mark last year and it’s up to ourselves to get there. If we don’t we will fall short again,” the Galway boss said.
He believes all of the teams in this division have a lot of players coming through.
“Teams are more difficult to beat when they have players coming through as these players are chasing places in the team.”
Galway’s first choice goalkeeper last season, James Skehill, will miss the first half of the league as he continues his recovery from the shoulder injury which he suffered last year before the All-Ireland final replay.
Shane Kavanagh and Aonghus Callinan are back in the panel and “we will be looking at some of the U-21s from recent years as well”.
Galway will have home advantage for three of their games (against Kilkenny, Cork and Tipperary) but, in Cunningham’s view, home advantage doesn’t make much of a difference at this level or at this time of year.
“It’s been a very difficult winter and it’s been very difficult for all teams to train. We get the brunt of the weather on the western seaboard. Most teams are looking at 3G pitches for training nowadays.”
“there is an attractiveness about each game in the division. We start with a visit from Kilkenny and, of course, we are looking forward to our trip to play Clare,” he concluded.
Galway’s league schedule
Sunday February 24, at home to Kilkenny
Sunday March 10, away to Clare
Sunday March 17, at home to Tipperary
Sunday March 23, at home to Cork
Sunday March 31, away to Waterford
