Home Connacht Tribune Galway come up well short as Cats show how it's done
Galway come up well short as Cats show how it's done
Stephen Glennon
Galway's Shane Ryan breaking away from Kilkenny's Seán Ryan during the Leinster U20 hurling semi-final in Tuallmore last Thursday. Photos: Joe O'Shaughnessy.
Kilkenny 1-19
Galway 1-15
GALWAY U20 hurling manager Jeffrey Lynskey has called on the GAA to provide a programme of games for teams in the grade after he watched his side exit the Leinster championship after just 60 minutes of action at O'Connor Park, Tullamore last Thursday evening.
Having played no competitive fixture going into last week's provincial semi-final defeat to Kilkenny, who had defeated Laois in the previous round, Galway saw eight months of developmental work wiped away by an assured performance from the Cats.
It left Galway boss Lynskey bemoaning the lack of competitive action for this grade of players and he has called on the GAA to establish a round-robin structure similar to that employed at senior championship level in Leinster and Munster.
"That would be the obvious thing to do," stated the Liam Mellows man. "These two months, there is nothing happening. There is no reason why they couldn't run it (proposed structure) off there on a Wednesday evening. Obviously, the top two teams then would play off in the final or they could cross play with Munster the far side.
"At the moment, it is a lot of work for one match and if it doesn't go right, you are out. In order to really develop, they need games. One game doesn't suffice, really. A lot of work has gone in for the last eight months, since last November."
Galway began last Thursday's contest brightly and led two points to no score after six minutes and four points to two after 12 minutes. In this time, Mark Kennedy converted two frees while wing-back Daniel Loftus and half-forward Diarmuid Kilcommins hit two fine points from play.
However, that was as good as it was to get for Galway in the first half and, by the interval, DJ Carey's side had not only overtaken the early leaders but established a commanding 0-11 to 0-7 lead, with Niall Brassil striking five of those Kilkenny points (three from play, one from a free, and another from a 65).
kilkenny v galway
galway u20 hurling
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