Cunningham wary of upset

Galway may have been handed a very favourable draw for the 2013 Leinster senior hurling championship, but manager Anthony Cunningham is wary of taking anything for granted.

A potential Leinster SHC date against Kilkenny awaits the Tribesmen provided they see off their semi-final opponents which will be one of Antrim, Westmeath, Carlow, Laois and London.

Galway would be expected to see off their semi-final rivals with ease, but Cunningham knows that anything can happen in the Championship and will go into the match expecting a difficult afternoon.

“Any match you play at this level is going to be difficult, and you can’t take anything for granted,” Cunningham is quoted as saying in the Connacht Tribune.

Galway enjoyed a good run in the league before destroying Kilkenny in the Leinster SHC final. They renewed rivalry with the Cats in the All-Ireland SHC final and appeared to be on course for a famous victory until Kilkenny fought back.

They were no match for Brian Cody’s men in the replay, but Cunningham is looking to starting afresh next year and bringing in new faces over the course of the league.

“We would be hoping, though, that we can get back to where we were and that we have a strong run in the league. Definitely, we will be looking at other players while there are panellists there that we will also be looking at as well,” he added.

“Of course we will also be looking at the Galway championship and what I would say is that there is always an open door for players. Irrespective of what has been done this year, the panel will be based on form and who is playing the best.”