Armstrong finds answer for Galway

There were fresh-faces aplenty on show at Letterkenny in the respective Donegal and Galway ranks but, in the end, it was left to experience to settle the issue.

Only on the field six minutes, Sean Armstrong it was who settled an encounter that got more interesting and frantic the longer it went on.

Donegal, beaten by a single, late point last weekend against Kerry in Killarney, experienced a familiar feeling. For Galway, too, there was a sense of déjà vu, with yesterday’s fine victory adding to the scalp of Tyrone last Sunday week.

Experience was perhaps the word of the day and it’s something that Declan Bonner, the Donegal manager, is seeing his players gather in spades. They began with only two players from the 2012 All-Ireland final winning team in Leo McLoone and Patrick McBrearty, who kicked nine points, did all he could to ensure a first win of the campaign.

The Kilcar forward helped Donegal from a two-point half-time deficit to lead by a point, 0-12 to 1-8, on 42 minutes but Galway, with Shane Walsh in fine form with six points of his own, had more threats on the day.

At the quarter-hour, there was parity at 0-3 to 0-3, with Partrick McBrearty popping over three times for the hosts, to cancel out efforts from Damien Comer, Paul Conroy and Johnny Heaney.

A Galway goal, though, on 15 minutes gave Galway a significant foothold.

It was well-created, by Declan Kyne, who waited his moment before setting Eamonn Brannigan away on the gallop to finish competently past Peter Boyle in the Donegal goal.

When McBrearty seemed to be gnawing down the arrears for Donegal, Walsh’s scores – three in each half – all came at times when Galway needed settlers.

Late scores from Donegal’s Paul Brennan and Stephen McBrearty did at least leave the home support with a degree of optimism, as they trailed by just two, 1-7 to 0-8, at half-time.

Galway came within a whisker of a second goal moments after the restart when Eamonn Doherty, the Donegal substitute, lost possession whilst coming from deep.

Damien Comer it was who started the lightening Galway move and the same player almost netted with a firm close-range punch only for Boyle in the Donegal goal to heroicly turn the ball over the crossbar.

Donegal, though, were getting more and more into the contest but after Patrick McBrearty eventually enabled them to get their noses in front for a spell, Walsh kicked three successive scores for Galway. On each occasion, Donegal levelled – firstly through a swerving Ryan McHugh point and then when Ciaran McGinley punched over.

That left things on an even keel again but there was to be a winner an Armstrong it was who kept his composure in the 69th minute to pop over what turned out to be the winner.

Galway survived four and a bit minutes of a Donegal onslaught in time added on and held on for another vital victory having made the step-up from Division 2.

Galway manager Kevin Walsh said afterwards: “We could have left the fingernails a bit longer if we had taken a few chances earlier in the game. I feel that we left a few scores behind us, but the workrate the lads put in compensated for not taking as many chances.

“We know where we have to improve and where we getting better.

“Everybody worked really hard. It was a real team effort. There was real leadership from some of our players and they really stepped up.

“We just have to look at how we played and look at where we can improve going forward. But today, it could have gone either way.

Bonner agreed and insisted that the league is a learning ground for his team ahead of the imminent returns of Michael Murphy, Frank McGlynn and Neil McGee.

“We probably didn’t ask enough questions of them, but it’s disappointing that we didn’t pick up something, no more so than last week,” Bonner said.

“But listen it’s a tough division to be in and it’s a hard learning curve for a lot of these young lads coming in. For a lot of these lads, it’s their first season at it.

“Four or five lads only started for the first time last week in Killarney.”

Scorers for Donegal:

Patrick McBrearty (0-9, 6 frees), Stephen McBrearty (0-2), Paul Brennan, Ryan McHugh, Ciaran McGinley (0-1 each).

Scorers for Galway:

Shane Walsh (0-6, 4 frees), Damien Comer (0-3), Eamonn Brannigan (1-0), Paul Conroy, Johnny Heaney, Sean Armstrong (0-1 each).

DONEGAL:

P Boyle; S McMenamin, C Ward, E Gallagher; R McHugh, P Brennan, T McClenaghan; L McLoone, H McFadden; S McBrearty, O Mac Niallais, C McGonagle; P McBrearty, D O’Connor, M O’Reilly.

Subs:

E Doherty for McClenaghan (24), N O’Donnell and C Thompson for O’Reilly for O’Reilly and McGonagle (half-time), M McHugh for Doherty (53), C McGinley (0-1) for S McBrearty (62), K McBrearty for Thompson (70+2, black card)

GALWAY:

R Lavelle; D Kyne, S Ó Ceallaigh, E Kerin; C Sweeney, G Bradshaw, J Heaney; P Conroy, P Cooke; S Kelly, S Walsh, Eamonn Brannigan; Patrick Sweeney, D Comer, A Varley.

Subs:

P Cunningham for Varley (50), T Flynn and G O’Donnell for C Sweeney and S Sweeney (60), S Armstrong (0-1) for Cooke (63), J Duane for Ó Ceallaigh (65).

Referee:

P Hughes (Armagh).