Understrength Dublin have it all to do

HURLING ALL-IRELAND UNDER-21 SEMI-FINAL:THE DUBLIN hurling revival is not having a great year. Should Anthony Daly decide to stay on and the under-21s hold pace with Galway this Saturday in Tullamore, the year will not be considered a complete disaster.

Should Dublin win and progress to meet, in all likelihood, Tipperary in the final, well, everything changes. And Daly will find it hard to leave.

There have been a few positive moments. The minors did well against a superior Clare side in last weekend’s All-Ireland semi-final. The seniors also dismissed the Banner and seemed primed to rattle an ailing Cork – only to blow it against Antrim.

That signified a massive set-back. Having savaged Kilkenny and eventually captured the Leinster title, the under-21s were heralded as the capital’s saviours.

Rory O’Carroll was lording it at centre back, Shane Stapleton was racking up points from frees with David Treacy providing the primary scoring threat from play.

But all three are unavailable this Saturday. O’Carroll has become an integral part of the Dublin footballers’ defence, while Stapleton and Treacy both suffered cruciate ligament injuries.

It all but extinguishes hope of them holding off Galway who remain littered with quality in the post-Joe Canning era.

“A lot of the players psychologically will be thinking that they have to raise their game,” explained Galway captain David Burke this week. “He’s a great player but you’d be thinking, ‘He’ll do this for us or do that’. But we have six forwards now and there’s no one else you’re going to count on. They’re going to have to stand up and be counted themselves.

“Richie Cummins at corner-forward is coming into form. There are a couple of minors coming through. Johnny Coen. Joe Cooney (son of Joe) from Sarsfields. And they’re playing well at the moment so...”

So Dublin could be in serious trouble without the aforementioned trio. “We just have to solider on,” said Dublin captain Oisín Gough. “We knew with Rory that senior inter-county football is where his commitment is. He has his eye on the prize there; to win an All-Ireland.

“So we kind of knew the team would be shifted around all year, we just weren’t expecting as many injuries. So lads just have to step up to the plate now and prove their worth.” Gough referenced the “bitter” feeling that still exists amongst the Dublin players who lost to Antrim. Several have this match to vent their disgust.

“After the win against Clare, we thought we were going very well but we didn’t up our game against Antrim. I don’t think the favourite tag sits well with us. I don’t think the team is mature enough yet to drive on and win when they’re expected to win. Hopefully it’ll come soon enough.

“We seem to be alright with it, the younger lads, because we’ve had it growing up. We’ve been winning Leinster titles and that, so we seem to be okay with it.”

Only problem is young Galway men like Burke are also hurting after their senior quarter-final defeat to Tipperary: “I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I mean fair play to Tipp. But we went in training the week after the Tipp match and it was grand. I enjoyed getting back to it. So we’re looking forward to Saturday evening.”

Elsewhere, Waterford GAA chairman Tom Cunningham wants Davy Fitzgerald to remain in charge of the county’s senior hurling team next year.

Cunningham said last night that Fitzgerald’s role “is a decision for the clubs of the county and the county board” but stressed that he like to see the former Clare goalkeeper stay on.

Cunningham said: “Davy’s contract is up and it’s up to us to negotiate a new contract with him. But nothing will be done until the September meeting, which is on the second Monday of the month.”

Cunningham revealed Fitzgerald told him after last Sunday’s defeat that he would need “three to four weeks” to decide whether or not he will remain at the helm in 2011.

DUBLIN (U-21 HC v Galway):F McGarry; R Walsh, D Kelly, O Gough; R OLoughlin, M Quilty, P Kelly; C Clinton, P Buckeridge; D Quinn, D Plunkett, B ORorke; C Brennan, L Rushe, N McMorrow.

MAYO (MFC v Tyrone):P Mannion; B Harrison, N Freeman, C Twomey; R Quirke, C Walsh, C Horan; D Kirby, S McGarry; F Durkan, M Forde, S Kelly; J McDonnell, D Coen, C OConnor.