‘There still is hope, we’re still left in the championship’ - Henry Shefflin to make changes after Galway’s dire display

Galway are on the back foot after a surprise Leinster SHC defeat to Wexford last weekend and Henry Shefflin will “shake things up” in a bid to get them back on track.

The Tribesmen have stuttered this season with a last-gasp draw against an injury-ravaged Kilkenny followed by a “very disappointing” defeat to Wexford on Saturday.

It leaves them on just three points after three games with a visit to Antrim up next before welcoming Dublin to Pearse Stadium for what could be a do-or-die clash.

Shefflin insists that their showing against Wexford wasn’t up to scratch and he found it hard to find answers in the immediate aftermath, although they are “still left in the championship”.

“It’s probably the most disappointing that I’ve been in a dressing room since I took charge of this team. We didn’t see it coming and we didn’t see it at half-time,” Shefflin told Galway Bay FM Sport.

“It was a very poor performance, we looked tired, we really struggled to get any flow in the game so it’s very disappointing. They were playing at championship pace.

“And even last week, I’d say we struggled to get to that championship pace that Kilkenny brought. We were hoping that we were going to be better on the back of that game but unfortunately, it wasn’t the case.

“We were very poor and it was hard viewing come the end but at that stage Wexford were…even when they lost the man they were starting to dominate the game.

“The whole thing lost its shape and it didn’t look good at the end, we looked a bit dead on our feet. I suppose that’s the funny thing, that’s how I feel now but there still is hope, we’re still left in the championship.

“It doesn’t feel like that at this moment in time and it won’t feel like that for a long number of days but if we can win our next two games, we have a chance in the championship.”

Galway were without Cathal Mannion after he picked up an injury against Kilkenny the previous week and the All-Star forward will be touch and go for the Antrim game.

Shefflin has promised some changes for their trip to Belfast as they try to get up to the championship pitch in a fortnight’s time.

“We’ll have to change things up and shake things up and we’ll go about looking at that the next two weeks. I know this group and it’s very disappointing and I know for the Galway public, it’s not what they want to view,” the Kilkenny legend said.

“But I know the effort they put in and how much they want it, too much sometimes, and I think that can weigh a little bit on them. It’s a very, very quiet and hurt dressing room.

“Straight away, going to Corrigan Park is going to be a difficult task the way we’re playing at the moment. It’s championship hurling now. We’re not playing like championship at the moment.”

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