Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
HOW ON EARTH?
Galway’s loss to Cats remains a bit of a mystery and it’s one the Tribe players want to set right against Tipp
GALWAY took the lead eight times and were ahead for 52 of the 75 minutes in last Saturday’s Leinster hurling final.
Kilkenny, on the other hand, moved ahead just three times and only led for a total of 10 minutes in a game they emerged victorious.
Quite how the Tribesmen contrived to lose remains something of a head scratcher and the week since has been far more about mental than physical recovery.
Can they go again this afternoon against Tipperary, the AllIreland holders, after having their pockets picked by Kilkenny’s final quarter smash and grab?
For Tony Og Regan, Galway’s centre-back in the 2012 All-ireland finals, and a leading performance psychology coach, it was a seven out of 10 performance that would have won many Leinster finals.
Regan told Mirrorsport: “I think with the experience that many of the players have, and with the input of the management team, they’ll recognise that they did 70 or 80% of what they set out to do against Kilkenny.
“If they could go back and edit that performance, they’d probably make a couple of tweaks i n defence in the last quarter of the game and get a few more scores in that period and that would be about it.
“Those problems are ver y fixable so I’d put it down as seven out of 10 with the potential to add another one or two if they can fix those issues. That’s a positive position to be in.”
Regan’s heart is with Galway and a big win to secure a last four spot in the All-ireland race would make his weekend.
But it’s not so long ago he lined up in Tipp’s corner against his native county as Tipperary’s psychology guru under Michael Ryan.
He was there for Tipp’s AllIreland success in 2016 which included a one-point semi-final defeat of Galway, one of a number of close encounters in those years.
Regan said: “I was in the Tipp camp and my job was to prepare players to perform under pressure, that’s the way I looked at it.
“Once I was working for them, I was totally invested in Tipp and they made me fe el p a r t of that team. Everything I did was for the betterment of Tipp and emotionwent out the window.”
Regan reckons goals will be key for Galway with just one scored in two Championship games.
He sai d: “I think Galway probably haven’t carried a huge goal threat, it was one or two half chances last weekend.
“Maybe it’s a case of keeping Conor Whelan inside, maybe you keep Joe Canning in there f or a period too.
“Galway can get plenty of points but they maybe have to find one or two goal threats too.”