Galway manager Fergal Healy his side's inaugural Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Hurling Championship campaign has been "fantastic" for his players.
Before this season, Galway joined the All-Ireland Championship at the round-robin quarter-final stage when other teams had already played several games. A motion passed at GAA Congress in February allowed the Tribesmen minors to join their Galway U20 and senior counterparts in Leinster.
"They're all getting plenty of game time," Healy told Galway Bay FM.
"I suppose that's the advantage of being in a competition the same as everyone else - you get the same amount of games. Hopefully, we'll benefit from that going forward.
"You can't replace these type of games. We wouldn't have the same aggression or intensity if it was an in-house game. You can't beat coming down to Laois, going to Darver, Nowlan Park next Friday."
19 June 2022; Aaron Niland of Galway celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the Electric Ireland GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship Semi-Final match between Tipperary and Galway at the LIT Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Photo by Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile
Two games into the competition and Galway have two wins. They defeated Laois 4-28 to 0-11 at O'Moore Park in Portlaoise on Saturday, adding to their win against Antrim in the opening round.
Saturday's game was close for 20 minutes with the sides tied at 0-8 each. However, Galway hit 3-5 without response to take a 14-point lead into the break.
"We'd be happy with the performance," said Healy.
"Until we got the couple of goals before half-time, there was nothing in it - it was fairly even. We got those goals, and pulled away. There was a strong breeze there and we had the advantage of it in the second half.
"The fact that we had the breeze behind us in the second half was an advantage out there. The lads kept the scoreboard going, and we got in for a couple more goals early enough in the second half. That probably killed it as a contest."
Galway's Aaron Niland received Clubber MOTM this afternoon scoring an astonishing 1-10 in the first half 🤯
Here is beating 5 on the Laois goal line from a 21 yard free!
Watch the game in full here ➡️ https://t.co/8RTIDVIpju@Galwaybayfmnews | @Galway_GAA | @ClarinbridgeGaa pic.twitter.com/out6G4Ec3i— Clubber (@clubber) April 1, 2023
Aaron Niland, one of Galway's best players in last year's championship, hit 1-10 against Laois before being replaced early in the second half.
19 June 2022; Galway manager Fergal Healy during the Electric Ireland GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship Semi-Final match between Tipperary and Galway at the LIT Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Photo by Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile
"It's about different lads taking responsibility, and Aaron only played five minutes of the second half there," said Healy.
"Other lads had to step up. Colm (Burke) stepped up, hit a few frees over. Seanie (Murphy) came up from the back, Michael Burke hit a few points, Conor Gilligan hit a few scores, Stephen Keane, Vince Morgan - they all got in.
"It was a good spread of scores, and we'd be happy with the performance. We know there's a tough test coming next Friday [against Kilkenny]."
Niland added that playing in the Leinster Championship this year is "class".
"We were delighted to get into it," he said.
"More games instead of training all the year, and after two games you could be out, it's great."
See Also: Three Years Have Turned Galway Man From Sceptic To Camogie Disciple
