The All-Ireland SFC Group 1 encounter saw Galway begin their All-Ireland quest impressively with a well-controlled victory over league champions Derry at Salthill’s Pearse Stadium on a Saturday evening, in front of a humble audience of 7,602.
This marked a pleasing start for the team’s manager, Pádraic Joyce, and his squad, just a fortnight after their third sequential win of the Connacht title. Moreover, Galway’s undefeated championship run against Derry was unbroken.
Galway had once again demonstrated their superior shot accuracy in this match, similar to their Connacht final game against Mayo – a stark opposing to their defeated opponent Derry, who squandered numerous opportunities, missing shots and dropping balls in the first half.
Right before kickoff, Derry brought in Emmett Bradley and Declan Cassidy to replace Conor Doherty and Eoin McEvoy in the half-back position. This meant the entire half-back line, who had started in the league final win against Dublin were absent, given that Pádraig McGrogan had suffered a cruciate injury a couple of weeks prior.
Derry’s manager Mickey Harte was uncertain about their return yet expressed his hope for some of them to be fit for the impending match against Ulster finalists Armagh.
Galway opted to swap Cein Darcy, who had delivered a strong performance in the Connacht final, for Matthew Tierney, who had made a significant contribution as a substitute in the same game. In this match, it was Darcy coming off the bench who provided a substantial impact, assisting and scoring the team’s second goal in the 65th minute, thereby sealing the victory.
Galway didn’t pressure the Derry kick-out early in the game. This permitted the league champions to build from the defence, scoring more efficiently compared to the efforts their opponents were putting in.
The home side played cautiously at the start of the match, diligently maintaining possession, before gradually getting into the rhythm as the half progressed. Extra space was afforded to Galway following the removal of Gareth McKinless in the 21st minute.
The game took a turn when a Derry player was unexpectedly shown a red card. The official’s decision surprised onlookers as it seemed the defender may have merely nudged Damien Comer, but it appears the linesman, David Coldrick, had noted a vicious stamp on the Galway full forward who was on the ground. The subsequent expulsion shifted the dynamics, piling additional strain on Derry while granting Galway an invaluable player on ball possession and search for openings.
Joyce expressed worry postgame over the injury of Comer, who had to eventually leave. Taking advantage of the situation, Galway managed to edge three points ahead, with contributions from players Paul Conroy, Rob Finnerty, and John Daly securing a 0-8 to 0-5 lead. Despite Shane McGuigan salvaging a miraculous point, Derry trailed 0-8 to 0-6 by half-time – a margin expected to widen in the subsequent half.
However, Derry seemed revitalised as they resumed, stealing points from Conor Glass and Lachlan Murray and closing the gap by the 40th minute. McGuigan displayed staunch defence as he blocked Johnny McGrath’s attempts.
Nevertheless, after Finnerty earned a free that regained the lead for Galway, the home team executed the first of two crucial goals. A misplayed clearance from Derry goalkeeper Odhrán Lynch fortuitously landed straight to Tierney, who swiftly orchestrated an exquisite sequence of passes to captain Seán Kelly, who netted the ball amidst a rebound scramble. This extended the lead to four points for Galway, placing them firmly in control.
As the game progressed, the deficit in manpower began to take a toll on Derry, although they made endeavours to stay in the contest, rallying points from a McGuigan free kick, a trick point by Ciarán McFaul, and further scores by the tenacious Murray. Their fortune seemingly picked up in the 62nd minute as they reduced the lead to three, but a last-minute chance for an equalising goal was thwarted by Connor Gleeson’s save on McGuigan’s attempt.
Harte was certain that, if they’d managed to score, his team could have possibly delivered a stunning concluding performance. Nevertheless, Galway always seemed well-equipped to jab them for additional scores, particularly with Walsh’s menacing presence on the field.
Walsh came into focus in the 65th minute when, after McGuigan’s attempt had been thwarted, he embarked on a winding exhibition of skill, feeding Darcy with a calculated pass. Darcy, after interplaying with Daniel O’Flaherty, skillfully netted the ball, thereby extending their lead by six points – a scoreline that read 2-13 to 0-13.
There was an unusual episode shortly after this. McFaul, who already had a yellow card against him from the first half, was distinctly spotted punching O’Flaherty. However, Curiously Cawley decided to penalise O’Flaherty and Tierney with yellow cards, leaving McFaul untouched by the disciplinary measures.
Now, Galway is all set to clash with Westmeath in the subsequent round. Meanwhile, Derry is prepped up to play host to Armagh in the forthcoming fixture.
The final teams were as follows:
GALWAY: C Gleeson, J McGrath, S Fitzgerald, J Glynn, D McHugh, J Daly (0-2), L Silke, P Conroy (0-3), M Tierney (0-1), J Heaney (0-1), J Maher, S Kelly (captain, 1-0), R Finnerty (0-4, 2f), D Comer, S Walsh (0-2). Subs included C Darcy (1-0) for Comer (47 minutes), C McDaid for Maher (58 minutes), D O’Flaherty for Kelly (62 minutes), C Ó Curraoin for Finnerty (65 minutes), and L Ó Conghaile (0-1) for Heaney (67 minutes).
DERRY: O Lynch, C McCluskey, C McKaigue, D Baker, B Rogers (0-1), G McKinless, D Cassidy, C Glass (0-1), E Bradley (0-1), E Doherty (0-1), C McFaul (0-2), P Cassidy (0-1), N Toner, S McGuigan (0-4, 2f), L Murray (0-3). Substitutes included D Gilmore (0-1) for D Cassidy (half-time), E Mulholland for Toner (48 minutes), C McGonagle for Murray (68 minutes), and S Downey for McFaul (70 minutes).
The match official is B Cawley from Kildare.