Tipp hope that Salthill proves to be fruitful once more

GAA: Allianz National Hurling League Division 1A Preview

 

GALWAY v TIPPERARY
Pearse Stadium, Salthill
Sunday 16th February
Throw-in @ 2.00pm
Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)

It's as good as win or bust time for Tipperary if they want to continue their Allianz National Hurling League Division 1 campaign beyond the group stage.

With Limerick and Cork tipped to win their respective games this weekend, a defeat for Tipperary would leave their fate of making the knockout stages out of their own hands as wins in their final two games at home to Westmeath and Waterford would need to come with favourable results elsewhere.

Tipperary's losing run since the start of the campaign is now at four games, including the two Munster League games before the New Year, and would want to be nipped in the bud pretty quickly. It was added to last Saturday by a draw with Antrim in Belfast, at the official opening of a pitch at Davitt's GAA Club in the city.

The team that started in the 2-23 each draw was: Darragh Mooney; Jamie Maloney, Brian McGrath, Paul Maher; Joe O’Dwyer, Robert Byrne, Jason Ryan; Dan McCormack, Jerome Cahill; Dillon Quirke, Michael Breen, Niall O’Meara; Jason Forde, Seamus Callanan, Paul Flynn.

With the championship panel set to be confirmed in the coming weeks, many players will be hoping for an opportunity in the three games that remain to nail their spot down for the summer.

While Tipperary's performances in the losses to Limerick and Cork would have earned victories in different circumstances, the fact that they didn't yield any points so far may force Liam Sheedy and his management to go a little stronger to face Galway.

With Paddy Cadell, Mark Kehoe and Killian O'Dwyer set to feature for UCC in this evenings (Wednesday) Fitzgibbon Cup final against IT Carlow, the college season will be wrapped up and allow Tipperary to fully focus on the remainder of the league, with Cadell and Kehoe particularly hoping to build on their impressive showings against Cork.

Dan McCormack and Brendan Maher have returned to training after Borris-Ileigh's club championship campaign and could feature for the first time while Patrick 'Bonner' Maher is not far off featuring for the first time since damaging knee ligaments last June.
This will be the first league or championship meeting between Galway and Tipperary since the epic 2017 All Ireland semi-final where Joe Canning's last gasp point ended the premier counties reign as champions and inspired Galway to a first All Ireland title in 29 years.

Canning, who limped off in their eight point defeat to Limerick last time out, is set to be fit to play which is a boost to Galway who went toe to toe with the Shannonsiders in the first half before falling away after the break, similar to Tipperary.

New manager Shane O'Neill, who was involved with Nenagh Eire Og in 2019 is looking to put his stamp on the team, helped by another former Nenagh Eire Og manager and coach John Fitzgibbon who is the coach of this Galway team.

Tipperary's record in Pearse Stadium is pretty good, having lost only one of their last six league meetings in the Salthill venue going back to 2008, with three wins and two draws with their only defeat coming in 2014.

It's a game that is always competitive but one that is likely to be decisive in terms of which team will progress to the knockout stages and with Tipp's need the greatest, they might just leave with a positive result.