LAST UPDATE | 10 Jul 2022
WHEN LIAM SILKE delivered a long ball into Damien Comer near the end of the semi-final, he was one of only two players in that half of the field.
The western support sensed a seminal moment was about to unfold. Already leading by six points, Comer had the opportunity to put Derry on the canvas.
He collected in front of Brendan Rogers and drilled an audacious 40 metre shot into an empty net. With six minutes still to play, Galway were back in the All-Ireland final.
Reflecting on the incident, Comer says: “I said to myself, ‘Get it on target anyway.’ If it hit the crossbar and came back out I would have been sickened because that would have been the worst case scenario.
“I probably put too much on it, I’d have gathered it was a dribbler but it was just adrenaline in that situation as well. Thankfully it went under the crossbar.”
When it struck the net, the Galway crowd erupted. Comer spread his arms wide in celebration. A moment that will go down in Tribe folklore if they can go one step further.
Not resting on their laurels, Galway coach Cian O’Neill roared onto the field at Comer to get back in position to press the Derry kick-out.
“Yeah he did. I probably lost myself a small bit,” he smiles. “It was euphoria I suppose. Getting back and sticking to the game plan is what got us here.”
He was the man who got Galway firing when they needed a spark. His downright refusal to wilt saw him open their scoring after 21 minutes. The Annaghdown powerhouse seemed to be the sole forward that caused Derry problems in the first-half. He either scored or assisted three of their four scores during that period.
Asked about Galway’s failure to score for so long, Comer said: “It was even worse when your marker has kicked two points and you haven’t scored.”
Brendan Rogers looked like he had the upper hand in their dual. He twice drove forward and twice clipped efforts in the first 12 minutes. Comer had the last laugh however, finishing as the hero with a 2-2 tally.
“You just have to be patient and stick to the game plan. Opportunities will arise and you have to make your own bit of luck and try be patient but at the same time go searching for ball. Thankfully we came out at the right side of it and I’m just happy at the end of the day.”
He endured a tough time with injuries over the last three years. An ankle fracture, hamstring tear and broken hand have sidelined him at various stages.
Having gone through those tough times, it makes days like yesterday all the sweeter.
“It’s special. I’ve had a rodeo ride with injuries through the years so it’s a big one for me personally and my family as well.
“It’s tough. It’s mentally challenging. You question a lot of things when you’re going through rehab in the gym and stuff like that. You have to take the good with the bad.
“Sport is full of injuries and that’s the joys of it. Throughout my early years I got lucky I probably wasn’t injured that much but in later years as the body gets older and you have miles on the clock it takes a bit more punishment. But look, you just play game for game and try get on top of it.
“It was a sweet one. It was enjoyable. Everyday you go out and get a win in a Galway jersey is a sweet one. All eyes are on tomorrow to see who we get in two weeks.”
Comer is unequivocal in his belief that Galway are full value for their run to the final.
They’ll be underdogs whether it’s Kerry or Dublin they come up against, but won’t hold any fear of their opponents.
“When you’re a young lads all you want to do is play at the highest level and in front of full-house crowds. Thankfully we’re back there. I think that’s where we deserve to be.
“This group has worked hard all year to get there. It’s no more than we deserve. We’ll see who comes through the game tomorrow and we’ll assess and be ready to go in two weeks again.”
He was seven years old and in the Croke Park crowd when Galway last lifted the Sam Maguire in 2001.
“I was here. I’ve vague memories of it. I remember the celebrations more than the game. I was about seven. It’s a while ago now.”
Two weeks ago he was the centre of attention after being the receiving end of an eye-gouge in the quarter-final win over Armagh. The snapshot of Comer getting targetted in the melee became the defining image from the game.
This time around it’s Comer’s celebrations after his goal that will live long in the memory.
Galway are back in the big time.