Some intriguing fixtures to close out this year’s Leinster SHC. Hawkeye Sidekick runs the rule over the final round of fixtures. Kilkenny experimentation against Wexford. Dublin and Galway face off to decide who plays the Cats in the provincial final. Offaly and Antrim enter the dreaded relegation playoff final.
Kilkenny
Four games. Four wins. 14-98 scored. Kilkenny are the standout team in the province. Derek Lyng will be delighted with the progress so far in the round robin. Dublin provided a stern second half test last weekend.
Last weekend ensures Kilkenny’s passage to the provincial final. It provides an opportunity for Kilkenny management to experiment and give game minutes to squad players eager to impress.
Several defensive, midfield and forward line changes. Kilkenny management hoping for a selection headache (good way) from the outing. Kilkenny’s bench impact if required looks potent but this is a fixture which means little. Bigger fish looms large on the horizon.
Wexford
The championship ambitions banished for another season. Key losses away to Dublin and Galway ultimately decisive. There will further squad turnover in the off season. One wonders if the likes of Liam Ryan and Lee Chin consider their options?
Wexford will be eager to end the championship with a win. Kilkenny’s starting lineup is dangerous with several players named looking to impress. Wexford struggled against Offaly last weekend and a repeat performance this weekend will be ruthlessly punished.
Team news yet to be announced for Wexford. Still, one suspects that Keith Rossiter and management will name a strong lineup. Lee Chin leading the attack and looking for more scoring output from Rory O’Connor, Conor MacDonald and Cian Byrne.
The side though have lacked cohesion in this campaign. Unforced turnovers and poor distribution into the forward line hallmarks of their season. Lee Chin has been immense for Wexford. However, key injuries in defense have allowed Cathal Mannion and John Hetheron to take full advantage.
Wexford will look to sign off on a positive note. The league fixture earlier in the year will add fuel to the motivation to secure a win. Performance levels need to be improved significantly from last week. The more intriguing aspect is the player personnel departures in the coming months.
Dublin
Dublin got punched in the mouth (literally) in last weekend’s opening half against Kilkenny. Past Dublin teams would have accepted their fate but this Dublin side produced a stirring comeback from sixteen points down.
AJ Murphy’s cameo off the bench impressive along with Sean Currie and Cian O’Sullivan in attack. This is something that Dublin management can take as a positive heading into this weekend’s fixture against Galway.
The negative (repeating myself from the podcast series) is that Dublin defensively are giving away too many goals. Conceding eleven goals in four games is not good enough. Dublin will be dispatched in either provincial or All Ireland series if that trend continues.
Dublin do not fear Galway and have not lost to their Western opponents since 2017. There is plenty to like in this starting lineup. Burke and O’Donohoe are an elite midfield unit. The attacking options are impressive. If the defensive unit can tighten up, who knows where this Dublin side may go?
Galway
A key fixture to run the rule over Galway’s championship aspirations. Three wins on the board. Three easy wins upon reflection with little resistance offered by Offaly and Antrim while Wexford never turned up in Salthill.
This weekend realistically will show where Galway are at. The back line is very much a work in progress. Wexford struggled in Salthill but did carve Galway defensively wide open in the second half of that fixture.
Nowlan Park in round one was poor. Galway though have shown if given time and space will score heavy. Cathal Mannion is having a standout season. 2-35 so far in the championship and leading the attacking unit. Conor Whelan is working incredibly hard with his tackle count and turnover ball ability.
The question this weekend is what Galway will turn up to Parnell Park? The hope is that we see a resilient Galway who will be competitive throughout. Michael O’Donoghue will be eager to see how his lineup performs. This is the last rehearsal ahead of key fixtures in the championship.
A solid full back line named by Galway management. The bigger question is the middle third setup? Is there enough ball winners in the half back and half forward win to secure an away win. Interesting fixture for Galway supporters who will know more about the side come 4pm on Sunday.
Offaly
It all comes down to this fixture. A win secures Leinster SHC next season. A loss for a county who are striving to compete with the hurling elite would be a devastating blow.
The campaign so far reads. Four games. Four losses. 6-66 scored while 9-92 has been conceded. A steep learning curve for Offaly management and players in this campaign.
Last weekend showed positive signs. Offaly looked to go direct and test out Wexford defensive aerial vulnerabilities. Lee Chin’s superb goal decisive down the stretch. 1-8 from play last weekend must improve this weekend. No bench impact either.
Offaly have shown inconsistent performance levels. The trend of a good performance and then a bad performance cannot happen this weekend. Tullamore needs to be a fortress moving forward. It is up to the players (starting) to secure a win here.
No team lineup at the time of this post but rest assured that the usual starting lineup will be named. Offaly need this win but this game is a tense affair. Do Offaly keep their cool and composure this weekend?
Antrim
A fixture to save Antrim’s season. A poor league campaign which saw Antrim secure safety in 1B. The Leinster SHC campaign has exposed issues in team setup and style of play. It all feels lost in translation.
Several injuries and retirements have exposed the squad depth chart. Davy Fitzgerald’s post-game comments last weekend were meant to distract. They have also increased the war of words between the manager and GAA officiating circles.
Sambo McNaughton’s commentary on Fitzgerald needing to focus on the here and now is a key contribution. Antrim local hurling circles are starting to express their frustration. This frustration will increase if the side loses to Offaly this weekend.
No team news at this time. The suspicion is that James McNaughton, Keelan Molloy and others will return to the starting lineup. Antrim are familiar with what this fixture takes. Offaly in unfamiliar territory. A devastating relegation is the headline here. Safe our season social media posts aplenty!
Predictions
Wexford to end the campaign with a narrow 2 points win over an experimental Kilkenny side.
Dublin to edge past Galway to setup a provincial final showdown with Kilkenny. One or two points to spare at the end of this contest.
Offaly to secure their Leinster SHC berth for next season. Antrim has too many question marks heading into this weekend. Offaly by five points to spare thanks to their starting lineup.