Galway mark top flight return with stylish success

Galway 1-9 Tyrone 0-8: A sharp winter’s day, a wet ball on a heavy pitch and a swirling wind that went all over the place … perfect conditions, you’d imagine, for Tyrone to get their league campaign off to a winning start and get Mickey Harte’s 16th season up and running earnest.

In the end, it could hardly have gone much worse for Tyrone at Tuam Stadium. They only managed three points from play, kicked 10 wides, never led, and having had Darren McCurry sent off after 25 minutes, they finished the game with 12 men on the field when Peter Harte and Michael McKernan picked up black cards during a lawless closing few minutes.

The result is a huge one for Galway on their return to the top flight for the first time in seven years. And while the win will undoubtedly please manager Kevin Walsh, you suspect he is much more encouraged by the way they stood toe-to-toe with Tyrone when the going got tough.