I am confident we can go to Salthill and give a good account
IN the lead up to last weekend’s game between Roscommon and Leitrim I listened to a number of previews on radio and all were very consistent that the winners would be playing Galway in a Connacht final.
I am not sure did they overlook the fact that the other semi-final hadn’t taken place or were they just totally disrespecting us but either way there is still a game to be played.
I am aware that Galway are strong favourites not only for this game but also considered real challengers for the All-Ireland title later in the summer but I am confident that we can go to Salthill and give a good account of ourselves.
Galway are the team on everyone’s lips after their league showings this winter and are third favourite behind Dublin and Kerry to win ‘Sam’ and deservingly so after toppling Mayo for the third time in three years in Castlebar a couple of weeks ago.
That game was far from the classic it was built up to be but Galway never looked like losing against a team that has been only a kick of a ball away from Dublin the last couple of years.
Galway have transformed their style of play this year dropping large numbers of players behind the ball in a well organised manner and hitting teams on the break.
It will be interesting what approach Kevin Walsh will take as next Sunday will be the first game since implementing this system that he will play against what would be perceived as a lot weaker opposition.
These are the matters that will be on Cathal Corey’s and his management team minds this week as they prepare for this game.
My view is he will more or less stick to this plan as this is the way he feels they have a chance to win an All-Ireland and needs to keep perfecting this plan even though he may give licence to be a little more expansive.
Kevin Walsh after spending five years as Sligo manager probably knows Sligo better than most, even though there has been a large turnover of players since he left and will be aware Sligo will not have a huge inferiority complex travelling to Salthill where they have put in excellent performances with a draw and win on the last two visits under his own stewardship.
From a Sligo perspective I felt the side played very well in London in what was as good as any Connacht team’s per- formance over the last number of years in Ruislip doing what they needed to do while at the same time playing some very good football.
For the first time in a while they played as a team not individuals and implemented their game plan well with a number of substitutions coming in to re-energise the team and finish off the win.
When planning to play in Salthill you always need to keep an eye on the weather forecast as more times than not you will have a gale force wind blowing in from the sea which you have to contend with.
In this regard a long range free-taker could be vital with the wind as you will need to take frees on up to 55 metres out, as space will be at a premium in Galway’s backed defence.
In order to win this game Sligo will have to play a different game than Mayo tried, we will need to get players in behind the Galway defence to give some of their defenders something to think about, we then need to attack in numbers to stretch their rear guard to find the holes and pick the passes.
We will also have to stop Damien Comer at full forward and my advice would be its easier to stop him from getting it rather than when he has it as his strength and power on the ball is very hard stopped without fouling.
With the forwards we had over the last number of years I always felt we could get enough scores to win games but we are a little more depleted this year after the retirement of my brother Mark and the loss of Stephen Coen who had been playing very well due to a cruciate injury to the knee, which is going to make this assignment more difficult.
After a trouncing in Armagh in the first game of the league with a young side I said to myself I would be content with consolidating our position in division three and getting a positive result in London and everything else would be a bonus for this year, with the first two achieved we are now in that bonus territory albeit with expectation growing.
Galway have transformed their style of play this year dropping large numbers of players behind the ball in a well organised manner