Galway face ultimate test against Dublin
A DOUBLE-SCORES defeat is just about the worst possible way to enter the sharp end of the championship at Croke Park, but the fact of the matter remains that the Galway senior footballers are still 70 minutes away from contesting an All-Ireland SFC final when they pitch up to GAA headquarters for the first of the weekend's semi-finals on Saturday afternoon (throw-in: 5pm).
Whatever scars come from Saturday's 0-16 to 0-8 reversal to a more fired-up and superior Monaghan team, Galway must somehow put them to one side and quickly hone in on the challenge posed by four in-a-row chasing Dublin.
All-Ireland semi-finals have come around just five times in the last 30-odd years for Galway and their clash with the modern-day kingpins will be the county's first since 2001.
Regardless of the outcome in Saturday's final round Super 8s clash at Pearse Stadium, Kevin Walsh's team were guaranteed last four football and, whether intended or not, there was a noticeable drop-off in terms of intensity and desire that underpinned their run to Connacht success and past both Kerry and Kildare in the opening two rounds of the Super 8s series.
Whatever scars come from Saturday's 0-16 to 0-8 reversal to a more fired-up and superior Monaghan team, Galway must somehow put them to one side and quickly hone in on the challenge posed by four in-a-row chasing Dublin.
All-Ireland semi-finals have come around just five times in the last 30-odd years for Galway and their clash with the modern-day kingpins will be the county's first since 2001.
Regardless of the outcome in Saturday's final round Super 8s clash at Pearse Stadium, Kevin Walsh's team were guaranteed last four football and, whether intended or not, there was a noticeable drop-off in terms of intensity and desire that underpinned their run to Connacht success and past both Kerry and Kildare in the opening two rounds of the Super 8s series.