Sunday July 2

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Final

Wexford v Galway, Croke Park, 4pm

By Cian O'Connell

A novel Leinster Final pairing involving two in form teams will bring intrigue and a sizeable crowd to Croke Park.

Silverware is on the line and so is the opportunity to book a place in the All Ireland SHC Semi-Final. Reaching August is the target, Wexford and Galway both have a couple of chances to get there.

Wexford’s promotion from Division 1B of the Allianz Hurling League brought huge encouragement in the south east. So did their Quarter-Final triumph in that competition over Kilkenny. Tipperary did beat Wexford at the penultimate stage, but Wexford were back competing in serious and intense matches.

Unsurprisingly Davy Fitzgerald had them primed and prepared for Leinster fare. Laois were dismissed with the minimum of fuss before the breakthrough success over Kilkenny. That victory against Kilkenny will linger long in the memory. Wexford had suffered against the striped team so much since 2004, but now they are back viewed as contenders. Respect has most certainly been earned.

What about Galway? The second round of the League brought a worrying result against Wexford at Pearse Stadium. Wexford finished with a flourish, but Galway’s response since that setback has been to reel off eight unanswered wins.

That foggy February afternoon in Salthill Joe Canning returned to action following a severe hamstring injury. Canning has been effective in a withdrawn role for Galway creating and converting opportunities from deep.

Inside Conor Whelan’s development continues, 12 points is a healthy return from play in 140 minutes of Championship action. Galway weren’t overly extended by either Dublin and Offaly because their focus was firm.

Micheal Donoghue, Franny Forde, and Noel Larkin’s diligent work in the west is worthy of significant praise. Little is being left to chance. Galway players and management have repeatedly spoken about not letting that League loss to Wexford ‘define’ the campaign.

The reaction bodes well, but the next challenge is always the most pressing concern. Galway have watched Wexford develop and gather that unquantifiable Championship item: momentum.

“The initial thing in the League was that we wanted to get promoted, but that was a major downer that day in Salthill,” Galway selector Forde admits.

“The other side of that was it offered an early warning to us that you have to be 100 per cent everyday. We decided that a match in Salthill in February wasn't going to define our year.

“It was an early warning for us, we just got on with it from there. The Dublin game was always in our minds, then it was Offaly. To get to here first of all was our goal and now to get to August is what we want to do.

“Last year it took us two chances to do that, there was a lot of maybe negativity after the Leinster Final, but the reality is that we went down to play Clare to get the job done. We still got to August.

“From then on the Championship takes a life of its own, it absolutely opens up. It is still the same this year. It is a Leinster Final, we would obviously love to win it, to go through the front door. That is a massive challenge for us.”

Similar ambitions exist in Wexford where Fitzgerald has forged a meaningful connection. Wexford are well on the road to respectability again.

Jack Guiney, Conor McDonald, and Lee Chin are self sufficient forwards, who can earn possession and pose stern questions. How Galway set-up defensively will be worth noting. Restricting Wexford will be one objective. Another will be to deliver quality and careful ball inside considering Shaun Murphy’s relevance to the Wexford cause as a stylish sweepr.

Both teams have a nice cocktail of physicality and poise; strength and skill. Galway are used to the Leinster Final stage, but they haven’t been in the winners enclosure often enough on that day. Wexford will relish this arena too.

**WEXFORD: **Mark Fanning; Willie Devereux, Liam Ryan, James Breen; Simon Donohoe, Matthew O'Hanlon, Diarmuid O'Keeffe; Shaun Murphy, Aidan Nolan; Jack O'Connor, Lee Chin, Conor McDonald; Paul Morris, Jack Gibney, Harry Kehoe.

GALWAY: Colm Callanan; Adrian Touhy, Daithi Burke, John Hanbury; Padraic Mannion, Gearoid McInerney, Aidan Harte; Johnny Coen, David Burke; Niall Burke, Joe Canning, Joseph Cooney; Conor Whelan, Conor Cooney, Cathal Mannion.