Galway 6-25
UCD 1-8

STEPHEN GLENNON IN BELFIELD

GALWAY senior hurlers first competitive outing of the year turned out to be nothing more than a glorified training session against subdued opposition in the unlikely setting of the all-weather Astro turf surface in Belfield on Sunday.

Played in the most inclement conditions, raining incessantly over the 70 minutes plus, it is difficult to gauge what exactly Anthony Cunningham and his selectors Mattie Kenny and Tom Helebert, along with the players, took from a Walsh Cup encounter that was nothing if not somewhat surreal.

Indeed, if it were not for the constant downpour, you would have thought that this was Galway ‘Summer’ hurling at its very best . . . the firm surface of the Astro turf pitch lending itself to a faster and crisper style of play than you usually get in the fading days of winter.

That said, a leaner and fitter Galway embraced the setting and from the off, they showed genuine enthusiasm and zest for the action. If this was just the veneer of wishing to impress a new management team remains to be seen, but if they can sustain those traits throughout the coming league and championship campaigns, then that will have been a start in itself.

Indeed, were it not for the heroics of UCD goalkeeper Jamie Ryan – the Craughwell and Galway custodian who lined out for the students – then the scoreline could have been a lot worse, if that was possible. On numerous occasions, he pulled off point-blank save after save through agility and sheer bravery. Whatever about his colleagues further out the field, he did not deserve to be on the end of a 32-point drubbing.

In any event, the Tribesmen had this encounter wrapped up by half-time, at which point they led 4-16 to 0-4. The visitors began in blistering fashion as Joe Canning netted the opening goal on just three minutes, following a delivery from Iarla Tannian, before Cyril Donnellan, Fergal Moore and Tannian combined to set up the impressive Conor Cooney – who finished with a personal tally of 2-6 – for Galway’s second on 14 minutes.

By the end of the first quarter, Galway led 2-8 to 0-2 – Cooney, Canning (3), the lively Damien Hayes, Johnny Coen, Donnellan and Tannian contributing some outstanding points. Again, that tally could have been more had Ryan not denied Hayes in the opening 10 seconds, before repelling a Canning effort midway through the half.

As it was, it mattered little as the victors continued to press. Further scores came from Cooney (2), the hardworking Andy Smith, Hayes and Canning (2) before a Johnny Coen delivery was knocked down by David Burke into the path of Hayes and the Portumna man made no mistake with his 25th minute effort .

For more, read this week's Galway City Tribune.