TRIBE NOW IN A LEAGUE OF OWN
Quarter-final: Galway v Mayo 3pm
GALWAY captain Tracey Leonard says losing a League semi-final to Dublin had a profound impact on the Connacht champions as they take aim at a first All-ireland senior title since 2004.
Galway have only claimed the Brendan Martin Cup once, and will look to move another step closer to a second crown when they clash with Mayo in today’s quarterfinal at Dr Hyde Park (LIVE on TG4 player, 3pm, with a deferred 7pm screening).
Last year Galway suffered a devastating 6-19 to 1-10 defeat to Cork at this stage. They bounced back this year and claimed another Connacht title, with a 0-17 to 1-12 win against Mayo.
But the 26-year-old Corofin forward says losing to a late Nicole Owens goal, and a 2-8 to 2-7 result at the hands of Dublin on 22 April, helped drive Galway forward. “To see them go on to win the League title in hindsight we look at it as in, did we leave it behind us?” said Leonard.
“But you have to look at the positives and that Dublin game brought us on an awful lot. Even looking at the Connacht final, that game was level at one stage, but the experience of the Dublin semi-final stood to us.
“We had bottled a lot and in my own head I was thinking, we are not going to lose another one here. That drove us over the line for the Connacht final.”
Since their Connacht final defeat, Mayo have been shorn of their Carnacon players, with star Cora Staunton the most notable absentee.
“That team with what has happened probably drove them on. And we will have our work cut out,” warned Leonard.
Champions Dublin face Kerry in the other quarter-final today (5pm).