Galway inch past Derry to win minor final

Galway 1-10 Derry 1-9

Controversy almost reigned at Croke Park this afternoon as Galway gained their first All-Ireland minor football title since 1986 by accounting for Derry by 1-10 to 1-9.

In the 43rd-minute, Galway defender Conor Doherty looked to have levelled the sides for the first time in the game, with what television replays showed to be a legitimate point as the ball curled off the post and over the bar.

However the score was not credited as the umpires waved the ball wide and Derry capitalised at the opposite end with a pointed free from team captain James Kielt just two minutes later.

The beaten Ulster finalists came bursting out of the blocks and after missing two scorable chances in front of the posts, they finally got it right with a well taken goal in the fifth-minute.

A well-placed long ball was delivered to full-forward Gavin McGeehan inside and the Ballinderry player had no problem in rounding Galway defender Keith Kelly and slicing the ball to the net.

Derry's good work kept them ahead on the scoreboard as they registered four of the next five points, three of which came from the boot of corner forward Lee Moore as the Oak Leafers raced into a 1-3 to 0-1 lead by the end of the opening quarter.

Galway's only score at that stage had come from the boot of full-forward Michael Martyn after eight minutes. The Connacht side looked far from dangerous in attack the early stages, however this was to change in the second quarter.

With four wides and 1-4 to their credit in the opening 15 minutes, Derry looked like they would continue to dominate but Galway had other ideas.

The Tribesmen were most impressive before the interval with some excellent fielding in the midfield sector. Full-forward Michael Martyn made a move to midfield which reaped huge dividends as he caught the ball cleanly before dispatching the ball to underage rugby star John O'Brien, who had no trouble sending the ball over the bar from the edge of the semi-circle.

Galway continued to tag on points with Martyn (0-2) and Damien Reddington on target to cut the deficit to two points but Derry had a spurt just before the break with points from Gavin McGeehan and James Kielt to hand them a 1-6 to 0-5 interval advantage.

Galway manager Alan Mulholland was part of the last Galway side to claim All-Ireland minor honours 21 years ago, and he certainly must have given the current crop an inspirational team-talk at the break, as they came out an inspired side for the second period.

Points from midfielder Paul Conroy, Reddington and defender Eanna Glynn cut the gap to a point, nine and a half minutes into the half.

Then came that controversial point, and Derry, whilst lucky to hold onto the lead, reaffirmed their advantage thanks to point from Kielt and Stephen Cleary.

To their immense credit, Galway did not give up. A fourth point from Martyn along with a well-taken goal from corner forward Reddington helped the Tribesmen take the lead for the first time in the 57th-minute at 1-9 to 1-8. Although Martyn and Derry substitute Ciaran McFeely traded points near the finish, Galway held out for a dramatic one-point win.

GALWAY: O Higgins; E Glynn (0-1), C Forde, K Kelly; C Doherty, D O'Reilly, T Fahy; P Conroy (0-1, 0-1f), A Griffin; JJ Greaney, T Walsh, J O'Brien (0-1); J Ryan, M Martyn (0-5, 0-3f), D Reddington (1-2).

Subs used: J Burke for Ryan (51 mins), O O'Brien for Greaney (59).

DERRY: A Warnock; M McKinney, C McWilliams, D Bell; C McKaigue, JF Bradley, B Henry; J Kielt (0-2, 0-1f), C O'Boyle; S Cleary (0-2), A Heron, D Mullan; N Forrester, G McGeehan (1-1), L Moore (0-3).

Subs used: D Heavron for Forrester (52 mins), C McFeely for Cleary (53), C McFeely (0-1) for Cleary (53), L Kennedy for Heron (59).

Referee: Derek Fahy (Longford)