The minors according to Mattie

There are no arguments as to who is the country’s most successful minor hurling manager. Ask any GAA follower for an answer to that question and they will immediately say Galway’s Mattie Murphy.
Throughout the past decade he has been at the helm at minor level in the county and in that time they have won the title on five occasions.
With a record like that, it’s understandable that Clare followers are wary ahead of their side’s clash with the Tribesmen on Sunday.
Is it an advantage or a disadvantage not to see action until late July each year in this particular competition?
“It’s hard to know what’s best. Kilkenny like to win with the least number of games. Look it will be all on the day. Galway went into Leinster at senior level thinking that all the games would improve matters but they are still under achieving,” he said.
“We have had no shortage of games as we have played Dublin, Waterford, Clare (twice), Limerick (twice) and Westmeath. In addition, the games amongst ourselves are fairly competitive with all players going hammer and tongs at it as they try to secure placed on the team,” he added.
For Sunday’s eagerly awaited game, the Galway outfit will be without Dara Burke who broke his thumb against Antrim. The defender was also a member of last year’s team.
John O’Halloran is another who won’t be considered for Sunday’s game due to a broken finger. Galway have 13 of last year’s panel which lost to Kilkenny in the semi-final available this season.
How does he see Sunday’s game going? “If we were to believe what the bookies are saying we wouldn’t bother going up for the game. According to them it is not going to be competitive. You are 4-5 to win it out. From the outset the view was that Clare is the strongest minor team around. They haven’t lost a challenge game and have handed out a few serious hidings to teams,” came the reply.
“Clare look to be a fairly complete outfit and don’t look to have any weaknesses. Their two midfielders are as good as anything we have seen at minor level for many years. Centre-forward O’Connell is the team’s playmaker while Shanahan is another outstanding player. Morey was the man of the match last year and he has held his form well. Aaron Cunningham is another who is doing well while Peter Duggan has impressed since coming into the team Alan Mulready was in the team last year and he can’t get a place in the side this year. They are all playing well,” added the Galway boss.
Asked for his view on the absence of Kilkenny, Cork and Tipperary from the concluding stages of the championship he replied “it’s nice to see them having a few lean years”.
For now, however, his focus is on Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final and while the shrewd Galway boss was full of praise for Clare and singled them out as a very talented team, he, no doubt, will have his charges well prepared for this local derby.