Galvin exception rather than rule
COLM GALVIN got six minutes of game time against Offaly when l ast week’s match was already well and truly settled. He is likely to be far more involved this evening in Thurles.
While Galvin was not named in Clare’s 15 last night, whether Davy Fitzgerald starts the Clonlara man on the bench or at centre field, should this all-Munster All-Ireland qualifier prove as competitive as expected, we suspect Fitzgerald will look to his All-Star midfielder at some stage to help p keep p Clare’s season on track.
Galvin’s involvement makes progress more likely but, simultaneously, his involvement is likely to make the price of failure that much higher.
The Offaly result was Clare’s first Championship win since the 2013 All-Ireland final replay against this evening’s opposition sition and the Banner’s poor form — which has seen them drop into o Division 1B of the League — means the vultures are circling above Fitzgerald. Despite delivering Liam MacCarthy less than two years ago there are plenty queuing up to have a pop off the two-time AllIreland winning goalkeeper, who has always been a somewhat divisive figure in his own county.
His treatmentt of Galvin leaves Fitzgerald open to accusations of running a two-tier system. Having spent the start of the summerr in Boston, the 22- year- old Mary Immaculate student missed d the Munster SHC defeat to Limerick, but was welcomed back on to the panel last month.
Fitzgerald’s amenable attitude to Galvin’s pursuit of a brief American Dream contrasts sharply with his treatment of Davy O’Halloran and Nicky O’Connell, onnell, who left the senior panel in March after objecting to the punishment imposed on them after a disciplinary breach.
O’Halloran joined the county footballers in the wake of the March controversy but, while O’Connell has since rejoined the panel, his only involvement thus far has been one minute at the end of the Limerick erick defeat.
I felt Fitzgerald rald had implemented a twotier system. He cracked the whip on the two boys foror their so- called socialising, he cracked thee whip on Podge Collins ns for wanting to play football, but a guy can go to America a for two months and d slot straight back in? n?
IfI you set out on a road,r you have to sticks with it. Davy’s perceivedp favouring ofo Galvin will come backb to bite him if thingsthin go sour. Of course,cours Galvin’s involvement makes that l ess l i kely. Therein lies th the rub. Davy is willing to make an exception for Galvin because Galvin is an exceptional hurler, oneo who gives Clare something theythe have been missing around the mi middle of the park.
He is a huge link in the middle third and by collecting the ball from half-backshalf-bac and feeding the forwards with good intelligent balls, he will go a long way to solving what w was a problem area for Clare againstagain Limerick.
However, his greatest ability is his running gam game. Pacy and strong, he is tireless in his ability to create the extra man in the forwards — something Cla Clare were crying out for against Lim Limerick when Shane O’Donnell was isolated.
He is the kind of player who makes those around him look better and you can bet Tony Kelly would be delighted to see him return. With Conor McGrath and Galvin back, a lot of the pressure will be taken off Kelly’s shoulders and perhaps that will allow him to play with a little more freedom.
Galvin’s ferocious work-rate and strength in the air are two more reasons why Davy was willing to make an exception for him.
Under six feet in height, the midfielder is still an exceptional fielder and that will be crucial against a Cork team who dominated the middle third in the first half against Wexford. Ji mmy Barry Murphy has selected the same 15, so you would expect them to revert to a sevenman defence, with Mark Ellis sweeping and Brian Lawton coming out to midfield.
Patrick Horgan will then move out around half-forward looking for possession, so the middle of the field is going to be tactically vital — with sweepers in operation there will be lots of loose ball around the middle and Galvin is just the man to hoover that up.
Both he and Kelly are great at finding the man inside but it is Galvin’s running game that could tip the balance in Clare’s favour and show why Davy was happy to break his own rules.
Galvin needs to prove his worth for his own sake but also for the man who welcomed him back.
‘He m makes those around him loo look better’