Joe Canning: Baffling changes cost Galway and Clare dearly in semi-finals

When big games turn against you, Croke Park can be a lonely place. In my career, I experienced it many times. At half-time in the 2015 All-Ireland final against Kilkenny we went in three points clear, having been the better team in the first half. By stoppage time, we were losing by seven. A late goal for us changed nothing. Kilkenny took over and you were left with this feeling of helplessness.

I imagine that’s how the Galway players were feeling in the second half on Saturday night. They had done most of the hurling for the first half an hour, they had put themselves in a commanding position, and then it all fell apart.

There’s been a lot of talk about what Limerick did to change the game, and Nickie Quaid stopping the play to give Limerick a chance to re-set, but I don’t buy all of that. In the few minutes after Quaid got his treatment Galway were still creating chances. The stoppage for Quaid had no bearing on the outcome in my opinion.

The game started to change when Galway altered their approach. For half an hour they had pushed up on Limerick and really attacked them, just like Clare have done in the last couple of years, and just like Kilkenny did in the 2019 semi-final and in last year’s final. It is the only way to play against Limerick that will give you any chance of winning.

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Just before half-time, though, Galway changed tack. Sitting in the RTÉ studio, I could see the signals from the sideline. Henry Shefflin indicated that he wanted one inside, and for everyone else to pull out. The Galway centrefielders and half forwards dropped off their men, and Limerick suddenly had a bit of space to work with.

Darragh O’Donovan scored a point before half-time, and played two diagonal balls for Aaron Gillane and Séamus Flanagan to pick off points. O’Donovan didn’t have that kind of space for the first half an hour. That’s the difference.

Once Galway went six points clear it was as if they were thinking, “Let’s hold this now until half-time”. Against Limerick, you can’t afford to sit off them for a minute. Once the momentum of the game changed in Limerick’s favour, Galway couldn’t switch it back.

They sat off them a bit again in the second half, and that meant everything was just that bit easier for Limerick. They were able to move the ball and pick off their scores. Once Limerick start dictating the game, they suck the life out of teams.

The second goal killed the game stone dead. After what happened with his booted clearance in the last minute of the Leinster final, I’d say Pádraic Mannion can’t believe that something like that happened again. Gillane was nearly looking away in disgust when his first effort hit the crossbar, and then Pádraic flicked the ball into his path again – just an instinctive reaction. Gillane wasn’t going to miss twice.

I’m not saying Galway would have won if they had stuck with the approach they had adopted in the first 30 minutes, but that was their best chance of winning. Other teams have tried to beat Limerick by sitting off them and it has never worked. Judging by the way they were set up at the start, Galway obviously knew this. So, why did they change? That’s what baffles me.

I also can’t work out why Clare changed their approach. They had gone toe-to-toe with the All-Ireland champions twice this year, without playing a sweeper. Why did they suddenly think it was necessary against Kilkenny?

If I was a player in that set-up, making that change on the week of the All-Ireland semi-final would have put a doubt in my mind. I’ve played on teams that set up with a sweeper, and it can have its uses, but I always thought it reflected a lack of confidence in the six backs. I also believe that any team with serious designs on winning the All-Ireland can’t set up like that.

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Clare have made some big calls in the last couple of years that haven’t worked out: starting Páidi Fitzpatrick in last year’s semi-final, out of the blue; throwing Eamonn Foudy into goal for the first round against Tipperary, with very little experience, and having to drop him for the next match; starting Cian Nolan on Gillane in the Munster final and leaving him there for 50 minutes. You stand or fall on big calls like that.

Last Sunday, Clare went away from their normal shape and their usual way of playing, and that was a serious error of judgment. Every team has to be adaptable but you do that within certain limits. To be successful you must have a clear identity. At the weekend, Limerick and Kilkenny were set-up exactly as everybody expected and played the game on their terms.

It’s a big part of the reason why Limerick are so successful. Their system of play and the structure of the team are so strong that players can step in without any major disruption. Declan Hannon was a big loss last Saturday, but they managed without him. Everybody coming in is clear about what needs to be done. Nothing fundamental changes.

It’s always a long way back after losing an All-Ireland semi-final. Clare and Galway lost provincial finals too, and they’re ending another season with nothing to show for their efforts. People always wonder about managers in these situations. I think Brian Lohan and Shefflin should both stay.

Where do Galway go from here? We’ve lost three All-Ireland semi-finals to Limerick in the last four years, and we haven’t won a Leinster final for five years. In my opinion, winning a Leinster title must be the priority now and build from there. There’ll be plenty of time to think about that now.

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