Canning's belief in Galway bolstered by return to form

GAELIC GAMES:THEY'VE SCORED 6-48 in their last two games, were pretty dazzling in the process, and appear to be peaking at the right time. No wonder Galway are so confident going into Sunday's All-Ireland hurling quarter-final against Waterford.

“The big prize is still there,” said Joe Canning, “If you don’t have that belief that you’re going to win an All-Ireland you might as well not turn up. That’s what everybody sets out at the start of the year to try and win, and we’ll be no different from now on in.

“You are always trying to prove people wrong. That’s sport. You have people who doubt you and that brings on a good sort of motivation. We have let a lot of people down, but, hopefully, we can bring the good days back to Galway, sooner rather than later.”

There’s no great reason to believe Galway can’t win the All-Ireland, even if Tipperary and Kilkenny still look like the teams to beat – although it should be pointed out Canning actually said all this two days after losing to Dublin in the Leinster semi-final, and before Galway bounced back with two fairly ruthless victories over Clare and Cork.

It illustrates how Canning believed Galway weren’t as bad as they played against Dublin, and definitely not as bad as some of the critics wrote in a newspaper article that same weekend. They were disappointing against Dublin, scoring just 2-7 and conceding 0-19, but as Canning admitted, he endured one of those days of “bad decision making” – shooting seven wides, and misdirecting three. Canning hit 1-3, but for a player of his usual reliability it was a virtual scoring meltdown.

Two weeks later, Galway racked up 4-25 to Clare’s 0-20, although the turning point in their summer came well before that. Canning claims to have been in bed before his parents got home from that Dublin defeat in Tullamore, and first thing next morning he was out on the field practising his frees – or rather proving to himself the previous evening had indeed been all about bad decision making.

“It was nearly worse the next morning,” he said, “as everything I hit went over. I was pointing frees everywhere, so you just have to pick yourself up and get on with it.

“I thought there might be something else wrong, but it was just one of those evenings that nothing goes right.”

Canning hit 1-9 against Clare, including one of his trademark sideline cuts, and then 0-10 against Cork, also seeing a penalty saved and another “goal” disallowed. He also fashioned possibly the slickest move of the championship – a no-look, underarm hand-pass – that drew gasps from the entire Gaelic world, including Darragh Ó Sé.

But Canning’s return to form is not the only reason why Galway have raised hopes and expectations again – boss John McIntyre admitted after the Dublin defeat “the critics are going to have a field day” and that the reputation of the players, and the management, now depended on how they performed in the qualifiers.

In other words, it was now or never for Galway – and McIntyre responded accordingly, dropping five players after the Dublin game, and making a couple of key positional switches for the Clare game.

The return to match fitness of Ger Farragher and Iarla Tannian proved timely, yet McIntyre also restored Alan Kerins to the starting team, and recalled Donal Barry to half back and Andy Smith to midfield.

Cyril Donnellan, who had scored 3-1 against Westmeath, found himself on the bench, with Barry Daly, Éanna Ryan and Aonghus Callinan, and team captain Damien Joyce.

McIntyre didn’t have a whole lot more to lose, but it was a bold reshaping of his team, as he also restored Shane Kavanagh at full back, and put David Collins at corner back. Damien Hayes took over the captaincy, despite a very poor showing against Dublin, and he responded with 1-3 against both Clare and Cork.

Galway are now essentially injury free. McIntyre was able to name an unchanged team for the Cork game – and the consistency and stability obviously lacking against Dublin looks a given going to Thurles to face Waterford.

It’ll be no secret Waterford must be experiencing something of a crisis in confidence, given the 7-19 they conceded to Tipperary in the Munster final.

What Waterford do have in their favour is the not entirely irrelevant fact of never losing to Galway in the hurling championship, winning all nine previous meetings, including two previous quarter-final meetings; just two years ago Waterford come through an epic battle 1-16 to 0-18.

“I don’t think there is a lack of mental toughness. Championship games come down to small decisions, even in the first couple of minutes of the game. We’re not that far off. We’re working hard and we’ll hopefully give a good account of ourselves,” says Canning. He also said that two days after the Dublin defeat – although perhaps those words are even more telling this week.

GAA FIXTURES:

Today

Ulster Under-21 HC Semi-finals– Antrim v Derry, Casement Park, 7.30pm; Down v Armagh, Morgan Athletic Grounds, 7.30pm.

All-Ireland Camogie Minor Semi-final– Galway v Kilkenny, McDonagh Park, Nenagh, 7.30pm.

Saturday

All-Ireland SFC Round Three Qualifier– Tyrone v Armagh, Omagh, 7pm.

All-Ireland SFC Round Four Qualifiers– Wexford v Limerick, Portlaoise, 7pm; Derry v Kildare, Croke Park, 4pm; Cork v Down, Croke Park, 6pm.

All-Ireland  MHC Quarter-finals– Antrim v Galway, Parnell Park, 3pm; Waterford v Kilkenny, Walsh Park, 7pm.

All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship– Kilkenny v Cork, Kilkenny, time TBA; Dublin v Wexford, Naomh Mearnóg, 3pm; Offaly v Clare, St Brendan's Park, Birr, 3pm; Tipperary v Galway, The Ragg, 11.30am.

All-Ireland Women's Senior Football Qualifiers– Armagh v Sligo, Pearse Park, Longford, 3.30pm; Dublin v Kildare, Pearse Park, Longford, 5.15pm.

Sunday

All-Ireland SHC Quarter-finals: Dublin v Limerick, Thurles, 2pm; Waterford v Galway, Thurles, 4pm.

All-Ireland Women's Senior Football Qualifiers– Down v Donegal, Clones, 3pm.

Galway V Wateford

Last Five Championship Clashes

2009– Waterford 1-16 Galway 0-18 (All-Ireland quarter-final)

2006– Waterford 1-25 Galway 2-20 (All-Ireland qualifiers)

1998– Waterford 1-20 Galway 1-10 (All-Ireland quarter-final)

1966– Waterford 2-16 Galway 1-9 (Munster championship)

1960– Waterford 9-8 Galway 4-8 (Munster championship)