Galway 1-10
Tyrone 0-12
GALWAY HAVE SECURED their first win of the league campaign after a gutsy win away to Tyrone.
With no Shane Walsh and Damien Comer in the squad, and Sean Kelly starting on the bench, this was a difficult assignment for Padraic Joyce’s side.
The first half was a tale of two quarters. Rob Finnerty subjected local lad Aidan Clarke to a torrid 15 minutes on his Omagh pitch, his first score coming in the third minute when he caught above Clarke’s head to pivot and shoot.
Johnny Heaney intercepted a Niall Morgan kickout to deflect into Kieran Molloy’s path and he fed Paul Conroy for a point. Conroy then threaded a ball to Finnerty who got out in front to win a mark in front of goal that he converted.
On 15 minutes, John Daly produced one of his trademark kickpasses to Finnerty who then lofted over the bar and a little bit of gamesmanship allowed Tyrone to reshape and Padraig Hampsey was moved onto the Salthill-Knocknacarra man.
Galway led 0-4 to 0-2, but from that point on, didn’t score for the rest of the half.
Instead, Tyrone goalkeeper Niall Morgan became the dominant figure. He laced a pass to Ciaran Daly to grant a converted mark after Darragh Canavan with a free had opened their scoring.
A Hampsey lay-off to returning captain Peter Harte produced their first score from play on 26 minutes and two minutes after, Morgan barrelled through the middle and fired a low-hanging shot that just crested the crossbar.
Canavan from play, and Morgan converting a 45 metre free-kick, closed out the scoring with Tyrone 0-6 to 0-4 ahead at the break.
A charge through the middle and point from Matthew Tierney, followed by another point from Johnny Heaney, set the tone for Galway’s second half.
The big moment though arrived on 49 minutes. Sean Kelly, just on as a sub, played Cathal Sweeney inside who still had a lot of work to do before he got in front of the Tyrone goal, but he crashed past Morgan to put Galway back in front, 1-6 to 0-8.
Johnny Heaney added a spectacular point as they pushed two ahead, and Sweeney could have had another goal only for a brilliant stop, this time from Morgan.
Late points from Finnerty from a free, and corner back Johnny McGrath, helped the Tribesmen. Tyrone came back strong with scores from Daly and a Con Kilpatrick mark.
But when they had possession at the death, they made one or two recycles too many before Joe McQuillan blew the whistle to end the contest.
Scorers for Galway: Robert Finnerty 0-4 (1f, 1x mark), Cathal Sweeney 1-0, Johnny Heaney 0-2, Johnny McGrath, Paul Conroy, Matthew Tierney, Daniel ÓFlaherty 0-1 each.
Scorers for Tyrone: Darragh Canavan 0-3 (1f), Ciaran Daly 0-3 (1x mark), Niall Morgan 0-2 (1f), Conall Devlin, Michael McKernan, Peter Harte 0-1 each, Con Kilpatrick 0-1 mark.
Galway
1. Conor Gleeson (Dunmore)
2. Johnny McGrath (Caherlistrane)
3. Seán Fitzgerald (Bearna)
4. Séan Mulkerrin (Arann)
5. Dylan McHugh (Corofin)
6. John Daly (Mountbellew-Moylough)
7. Kieran Molloy (Corofin)
8. Paul Conroy (St James’)
9. John Maher (Salthill-Knocknacarra)
10. Johnny Heaney (Killannin)
11. Matthew Tierney (Oughterard)
12. Cathal Sweeney (Salthill-Knocknacarra)
13. Robert Finnerty (Salthill-Knocknacarra)
14. Cillian ÓCurraoin (Micheál Breathnach)
15. Liam ÓConghaile (Spiddal)
Subs:
23. Cein Darcy (Ballyboden) for ÓCurraoin (31)
26. Rory Cunningham (St Brendan’s) for Conroy (HT)
17. Daniel ÓFlaherty (Salthill-Knocknacarra) for Molloy (43)
19. Sean Kelly (Moycullen) for ÓConghaile (48)
21. Niall Daly (Kilconly) for Tierney (65)
Tyrone
1. Niall Morgan (Edendork)
2. Conall Devlin (Dungannon)
3. Padraig Hampsey (Coalisland)
4. Aidan Clarke (Omagh)
25. Cormac Quinn (Errigal Ciaran)
5. Niall Devlin(Coalisland)
8. Brian Kennedy (Derrylaughan)
9. Aodhan Donaghy (Loughmacrory)
14. Darragh Canavan (Errigal Ciaran)
18. Peter Harte (Errigal Ciaran)
12. Seanie O’Donnell (Trillick)
20. Lorcan McGarrity (Carrickmore)
11. Con Kilpatrick (Edendork)
15. Ciaran Daly (Trillick)
Subs:
10. Ruairí Canavan (Errigal Ciaran) for Darragh Canavan (56)
21. Kieran McGeary (Pomeroy) for McGarrity (56)
22. Michael McGleenan (Eglish) for Donaghy (59)
17. Cormac Donnelly for McKernan (72)
Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)
