Hurling matters - Preview

from both sides is clear for all to see. Indeed, two out of the top 3 scorers in the provincial championship will be plying their trade on Sunday. TJ Reid sits in 2nd place in the Leinster scoring stakes, just 3 points ahead of Galway’s Evan Niland, both will have Dublin’s Donal Burke in their sights this weekend as the current top scorer could certainly be pegged back by one or both of the deciders top marksmen.

Eoin Cody comes into the weekend’s nal having gone goal crazy in that topsy-turvy game at Chadwicks Wexford Park. e current captain will be hoping to light up Croker with some more majors against Galway, and depending on the tness of others, the Shamrocks Ballyhale man may need to shoulder more of the scoring burden on Sunday. e defeat to the Yellowbellies could yet prove more costly than the points dropped as three men in black and amber exited the eld before the short whistle.

Reigning Young Hurler of the Year Mikey Butler left Slaneyside on crutches with a reputed calf injury while Tullaroan’s Mossy Keoghan limped o with a hamstring issue. With a bit of luck and extra time on the treatment table there’s a chance that both these players may feature in the decider on Sunday.

e biggest concern for Derek Lyng and his management team will be the nasty thumb injury su ered by former captain and current All-Star Adrian Mullen. e Shamrocks man was taken straight to hospital in Waterford for further treatment and assessment and will face a race against time to feature again for the Cats in this hugely condensed season. Mullen is a crucial cog in the Kilkenny machine and his ability and game intelligence will be sorely missed while he’s out of the team.

Richie Reid and Paddy Deegan also missed the Wexford game with injuries and the manager will hope to have both these powerhouses available as Sunday’s game will require signi cant impact from the bench to tilt the game in favour of the eventual winner. Billy Drennan’s return to tness has been a timely boost to the county and the young Galmoy man could certainly provide a spark to ignite Kilkenny’s bid for 4-in-a-row Leinster titles.

Galway has plenty of quality in all areas of the pitch to rival those in black and amber. Killimordaly’s Brian Concannon is normally the focal point at the edge of the square, and will no doubt relish his potential battle with O’Loughlin’s Huw Lawlor. Concannon has hit 2-10 in the provincial campaign to date and will be keen to add to his tally in Croker. Conor Whelan is another potent weapon for the Tribesmen and has hit ve majors in Leinster this season. Standing between the sticks will be Eanna Murphy. e Tommy Larkins player has been a permanent xture for the Westerners over the last few seasons and is one of the best keepers around. Captained from centreback by Daithí Burke, the Tribesmen have a strong and potent half-back line that will look to dictate matters and set the tempo for those further up the pitch. Normally Burke has Padraic Mannion and Joseph Cooney anking him. is line in the Galway team is a lovely blend of strength and skill.

Derek Lyng will no doubt have been impressed with the development of some of his panel this year. e likes of David Blanch eld and Tom Phelan have really blossomed through this year’s competitions. Lyng also appears to have secured the services of Young Ireland’s Mikey Carey who had originally opted out of this season due to his travelling plans. How quickly Carey can get up to match speed will be the real test, but having him as an option, even from the bench given the current injury situation.

It’s hard to know what XV is going to be selected by Derek Lyng and his backroom team at the time of writing. ere are so many variables due to player availability. As Adrian Mullen had been deployed in mid eld, it will be interesting to see what pairing gets the nod for Sunday. Given the undoubted physical nature that this nal is going to throw up, you would really want the likes of Paddy Deegan involved. e O’Loughlin’s man’s swashbuckling style is well suited to Henry’s Galway and I for one really want Deegan involved this weekend. We don’t have too much longer to wait. Sunday is coming and whichever players run out at Croker will give everything to take Bob O’Keefe back to Noreside. Like we said earlier, this is just another step on what we hope is a much bigger journey.