FIXTURE NEWS:GALWAY'S THIRD championship hurling match in 16 days is "not an issue" for manager John McIntyre and instead he believes his team are relishing the challenge of getting to an All-Ireland final the hard way. After beating Clare and then Cork over the past two weekends, Galway are back at Semple Stadium in Thurles this Sunday in the double-bill of All-Ireland quarter-finals, writes IAN O'RIORDAN

Dublin and Limerick will open proceedings at 2pm, before the 4pm throw-in between Galway and Waterford. Given his journalistic background and therefore attention to detail, McIntyre is quick to point out that Galway have never actually beaten Waterford in the championship – their eight previous meetings all ending in favour of Waterford.

It’s not something he’s getting hung up on, however, as Galway also had a poor record against Cork going into last Saturday’s final qualifier.

“No, we can’t have any complaints,” says McIntyre. “We didn’t have a good record against Cork in the championship. And we didn’t have a good record in Thurles. So in some ways we killed two birds with the one stone there. We’re going about it the hard way, no doubt about that, but I have to be happy with the way the team surged in the final 10 minutes against Cork.

“Of course with this many games in succession you have wear and tear, ups and downs, and when you come away with the high of winning you have to focus straightaway on the next task. But it’s not an issue, and we’re not going to use it as an excuse.

“It’s another very difficult match though. Waterford are one of those teams capable of beating any team in the country on any given day, and it could also be the last stand for some of their greatest servants.

“So it’s a lot to ask, playing a third big match in succession, but that’s the way the cards have fallen for Galway this year, and that’s the way we’re playing them. We’re being as positive as we can about it, but it certainly does make for a hard road to the All-Ireland.”

The latest casualty of the “wear and tear” is full back Shane Kavanagh, who sustained a hand injury late in the Cork game in an off-the-ball scuffle with Aisake Ó hAilpín: “Shane has a broken bone on the back on his hand and the surgeon will assess the injury again this morning to determined if a pin needs to be inserted. But the bottom line is he will be out of action for between four to six weeks.

“It’s a setback, for sure, having lost another defender Adrian Cullinane from the previous game against Clare. It means we’re down two first-choice defenders, and Shane had being doing well in a troubled position for Galway. But again we’re not complaining. That’s part of the championship and we do have players to come in.”

Portumna full back Eugene McEntee appears primed to take over at full back, despite his lack of experience with the county, although there are other options including Ger Mahon and Andy Coen. Sunday’s game will be Galway’s fifth of the campaign as they’ve also played Laois and Kilkenny as well as Clare and Cork, while Waterford have only played Limerick (twice) and then Tipperary in the Munster final.

Among the other fixtures decided yesterday by the Central Competition’s Control Committee (CCCC) was Saturday’s triple bill in Portlaoise involving one of the senior hurling relegation play-offs between Clare and Wexford (5pm) along with the fourth-round football qualifier between Kildare and Wicklow (7pm) and the minor hurling quarter-final between Wexford and Tipperary (3pm).

Also on Saturday will be the round-three football qualifier between Meath and Roscommon, which has a 7pm start at Páirc Tailteann in Navan, the other senior hurling relegation play-off between Antrim and Offaly, which has a 3pm start in Parnell Park, and finally the fourth-round football qualifier between Galway and Donegal at Markievicz Park in Sligo, which has a 5pm throw-in.

The final fourth-round football qualifier between Antrim and Kerry has been fixed for Sunday in Tullamore (3pm) primarily because of the fact the Antrim hurlers are out on the Saturday in their relegation play-off, and the CCCC wanted to avoid a clash of fixtures to allow their supporters attend both games. Ideally Antrim had wished for a double-bill, but as this wasn’t deemed possible by the CCCC, the Sunday fixture was the next best thing as it allows the Antrim footballers an extra day recovery from Sunday’s Ulster final defeat to Tyrone.

TV3 announced the Wicklow-Kildare game as their choice of a live qualifier, while RTÉ2 will cover the meeting between Galway and Donegal. Both of Sunday’s All-Ireland hurling quarter-finals will go out live on RTÉ2.

Championship '09

SATURDAY

ALL-IRELAND SF QUALIFIER SERIES

ROUND THREE

Meath v Roscommon, Páirc Tailteann, Navan, 7.0pm

(Extra-time if necessary)

ROUND FOUR

Galway v Donegal, Markievicz Park, 5.0pm

(Extra-time if necessary) Live RTE2

Kildare v Wicklow, Portlaoise, 7.0pm

(Extra-time if necessary) Live TV3

ALL-IRELAND SHC RELEGATION PLAY-OFFS

Antrim v Offaly, Parnell Park, 3.0pm (Extra-time if necessary)

Clare v Wexford, Portlaoise, 5.0pm (Extra-time if necessary)

ALL-IRELAND MHC QUARTER-FINALS

Antrim v Galway, Parnell Park, 1.15pm (Extra Time if necessary)

Wexford v Tipperary, Portlaoise, 3.0pm

SUNDAY

ALL-IRELAND SHC QUARTER-FINALS

Dublin v Limerick, Thurles, 2.0pm. Live RTE2 (ET if necessary)

Waterford v Galway, Thurles, 4.0pm. Live RTE2

ALL-IRELAND SF QUALIFIER SERIES (ET if necessary)

ROUND FOUR

Antrim v Kerry, Tullamore, 3.0pm (Extra-time if necessary)