All-Ireland SFC semi-final

Galway 2-8 Derry 1-6

By Michael McMullan

DERRY’S hopes of a third All-Ireland final appearance were torn apart at the hands of Galway on Saturday evening in Croke Park.

A late Lachlan Murray goal put a gloss on a tough day the office for the Ulster champions who found their potent running game closed down by a Galway team that didn’t score for the first 22 minutes.

It was the fourth championship meeting of the counties and when Galway hit Derry with a 1-3 to no score blitz early in the second half, there was no way back.

Derry, who went 22 first half minutes without a score, led 0-4 to 0-3 at the break after a Shane Walsh ’45’ was wrongly disallowed by Hawkeye only to have it added back on by the officials at the interval.

Two points from Brendan Rogers and left footed strike from Niall Loughlin had the Oakleafers three points ahead after 12 minutes.

Derry were calm in possession and settled well, but with Galway closing the door on their runners, it left them to take pot shots from around the edges.

Conor McCluskey and Chrissy McKaigue did excellent marking jobs on Shane Walsh and Rob Finnerty, but it was Damien Comer who opened the Galway account after 22 minutes.

A Shane McGuigan free had Derry 0-4 to 0-2 ahead before Comer added on the cusp of the break.

The sides were level 0-4 each by the time the ball was thrown up for the second half, but three Walsh frees put Galway in the comfortable position.

It got even better for the Tribesmen when Comer hammered home in the 47th minute for a 1-7 to 0-4 lead.

Galway’s ability to keep the ball the take the sting out of the game left it over as a contest.

With everyone pushed up a Derry attack broke down on the Galway ‘45’ and with Lynch out of goal, the ball was worked to Comer who lobbed his second goal into an empty net.

Derry did manage a Lachlan Murray goal with the last kick, but it was Galway who comfortably make it to final meeting with the winners of Kerry and Dublin.

Galway: C Gleeson; J Daly (0-1), S Kelly, L Silke, J Glynn; D McHugh, K Molloy; P Conroy, C McDaid; Patrick Kelly, M Tierney , J  Heaney (0-1); R Finnerty, D Comer (2-2), S Walsh (0-4, 3f, 1 ‘45’)
Subs: F Ó Laoí for J Heaney (60), B Mannion for D Comer (68), D Connelly for R Finnerty (68), Paul Kelly for Patrick Kelly (72)

Yellow card: D Comer (47)

Derry: O Lynch; C McCluskey, B Rogers (0-2), C McKaigue, S Downey, P McGrogan, C Doherty;  G McKinless, C Glass; Paul Cassidy, E Doherty; B Heron, S McGuigan (0-3, 2f); N Loughlin (0-1), N Toner
Subs: E Bradley for S Downey (44), L Murray (1-0) for N Toner (56), B McCarron for B Heron(60)

Yellow card: G McKinless (52)

Referee: B Cawley (Kildare)