By Cian O'Connell

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With an interesting Leinster Senior Hurling Championship clash against Dublin edging closer, Galway’s Padraic Mannion wants to remain in the Allianz Hurling League for another couple of weeks.

Mannion, who has emerged a key figure for the Tribesmen is relishing Sunday’s League Semi-Final challenge with Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds.

Galway finished with a real flourish to defeat Waterford at the Quarter-Final stage, a hugely encouraging result for Micheal Donoghue’s charges.

This weekend’s encounter represents another good test ahead of the May 31 tussle with Dublin according to Mannion.

“Yeah, especially after coming away from the Waterford game, we were very happy with how we finished that game,” says Mannion.

“We mightn't have started it great, but we take great confidence from the character we showed coming back from 10 points down. Anytime you can do that against a Division 1A team you have to be happy with it.

“You want to stay in the League for as long as you can when it comes to the knockout stages, every game you play is getting you a game closer to when you play Dublin in the first round of the Leinster Championship. From that point of view these games are massively important and beneficial for us.”

How Galway hurled in the closing minutes of victories over Limerick and Waterford is a source of optimism in the west.

“One of the things we look for is consistency of performances to see if we can bring a high level of performance,” Mannion states.

“We are beginning to see that now, maybe Galway teams in the past mightn't have beaten them like we did. I think we can see a bit more consistency coming into our play.”

The Waterford win in front of a bumper Pearse Stadium crowd was a particularly sweet afternoon for Galway GAA enthusiasts with the footballers also beating Kildare to secure promotion to Division One of the Allianz Football League.

“Yeah, it was a good day with the double header,” Mannion admits. “We don't get enough home double headers, especially when the footballers win you want to go to finish the day on a high. Thankfully we did that. We didn't start particularly well in either half, but the character we showed, the way we came back was very positive.”

Mannion reckons Jonathan Glynn’s return to the panel is ‘a massive boost’ ahead of the summer. “Yeah, in 2015 Jonathan was a massive player for us,” says Mannion.

“He is only 24 this year, but he has massive experience and a player like that coming into the panel, especially at this time of the year, it is a massive boost for the panel.”

When asked about why Galway have developed in recent campaigns Mannion stresses the experience that has been gained. “One of the reasons is the players are maturing, the younger lads are getting a year or two older, they are improving,” Mannion comments.

“I suppose that is definitely one of the reasons, also focusing on the work rate and intensity we bring to a game. You can do that even if you are 10 points down, you can still do that. It is one of the things we have been focusing on, it stood to us the last day.”

While Galway failed to realise one of their spring objectives by not attaining Division 1A status for 2018, Mannion feels the team is progressing nicely.

“Yeah, one of the aims at the start of the year would have been to get up to Division 1A, but you see Clare and Waterford over the last few years getting to League Finals and winning them from 1B, you are still probably better off to be left in the League in the knockout stages you have more game time and more knockout games which stand to you coming into the Championship,” Mannion says.

“The longer you can stay in the League, no matter what Division you are coming from, the better you'll be coming into the Championship.”