Galway manager Micheal Donoghue.
By Cian O'Connell
Sunday's novel Leinster SHC Final carries intrigue with a bumper crowd set to gather at Croke Park.
GAA headquarters will provide an ideal backdrop as two of the form outfits in the country, Galway and Wexford, collide.
Galway manager Micheal Donoghue was deeply impressed with how Wexford defeated Kilkenny at the penultimate stage in the province.
"They were very impressive," Donoghue says. "They’ve had two big wins over Kilkenny in a short space of time.
"That probably reaffirms the progression Wexford have made. They were struck for the goal early on, but they stuck to their guns and kept coming back really well. Look, obviously Kilkenny were creating a few goal chances, but from a good bit out, Wexford looked right in control."
Such gritty defiance from Wexford captured Donoghue's attention and the Galway boss praised the work being carried out by Davy Fitzgerald. "He’s done a great job, he’s an unbelievable manager," is Donoghue's assessment.
"From my own perspective and other manager’s, it’s great pitting your wits up against him.
"He’s seriously passionate about it. He brings that to the game and to the sideline as well."
Fitzgerald has set up with a sweeper system utilising the talented Shaun Murphy in that role. "I think each team and each manager has their own way they want to set up," Donoghue states.
"It’s been prevalent in the game for the last number of years and that’s just the way he sets up.
Micheal Donoghue pictured with the Galway team before the Leinster SHC Quarter Final against Dublin.
"We don’t read too much into it. It’s just about our own game and how we can force ourselves onto each particular game and it’s going to be no different again in the Leinster Final."
Against Offaly Galway encountered two sweepers and Donoghue was content with how his team fared. "I think the lads played themselves well into it," is Donoghue's assessment.
"Once they identified there was two, it was harder for the first ten minutes. Once they readjusted and their shooting boots on it was good.
"It was a different challenge. You’re used to playing against one occasionally, but two was different."
Donoghue featured for Galway in a 1996 All Ireland SHC Semi-Final when Wexford defeated the Tribesmen. A couple of decades later Galway are still battling furiously to secure the Liam MacCarthy Cup.
"Where people are constantly knocking us for not winning it, we’re still probably one of the teams who have been knocking on the door the most," Donoghue says.
"When you’re in a Leinster Final or if you progress further, the first reaction of people of the first instinct of people, is always to look back.
"What’s the point looking back? People going on about three years ago, four years ago, five years ago.
"It’s a different squad now. I know fair enough, it’s still a lot of the team that were there, but we’ve eight, nine, 10 new lads since we started this year. So it’s a totally different group, it’s a totally different dynamic in the group.
"We never look back, it’s always about looking forward. That’s huge for this group."
