Cathal Mannion is hoping the Galway U21 hurlers can put a smile back on their supporters' faces.

Johnny Kelly's U21s represent the county's last hope of glory this year after their minor counterparts were hammered by Limerick last Sunday and the seniors were ousted from the championship by Tipperary last month.

On Saturday, they will face Leinster champions Wexford for a place in the All-Ireland final and senior star Mannion admitted to the Irish Independent:  "I suppose Galway hurling isn't going too well this year, with the minors losing last Sunday and the seniors before that.

"We'd love to get a bit of silverware for the county to finish off on a high, but before we can even think about that, we have to play Wexford. They're very stiff opposition, so we're not looking beyond the Wexford game on Saturday.

"I don't really know the Wexford lads because we haven't played them underage, just in a challenge match or two. I think this is the first competitive game we've played against them at this level.

"We know that to beat Wexford you have to keep guys like Jack Guiney and Conor McDonald to a minimum. I'd like to think we have the players who can do that but we know this will be a tough match to win."

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