Joyce deflated as Tally's Derry reel Galway in to bank first point
Derry's goalkeeper Neil McNicholl scores a goal
Derry came from nine points down at half-time to earn their first point of the season on Saturday night in Celtic Park.
And it could’ve been even better had John Daly not blocked Ethan Doherty’s last-minute shot to win the game.
All the momentum was with Derry but when the space opened up, Doherty looked to settle his shot for the winning point before Daly flung his body on the line.
There was still time for one more Galway attack but when Derry held it up long enough in the middle third, time ran out and the hooter sounded with the teams on level terms.
Two weeks after their chaotic defeat at the hands of Kerry, there was a sense of relief that Derry’s comeback didn’t end in defeat.
Lachlan Murray hit three points, made scores, won a kick-out and brought energy to the game.
Ciaran McFaul had a significant say on a night when Paudi McGrogan made a first appearance after an ACL injury.
For Galway, it was a game of two halves as well. Shane Walsh kicked a couple of two pointers in an 0-6 haul with Dylan McHugh’s ninth minute goal also laying the foundations.
On the flip side, John Maher made two vital interceptions in the first half and got a hand to a half goal chance for Ben McCarron.
“I’ll take the point tonight,” said Derry manager Paddy Tally. “At nine points down, you were hoping they’d (Derry) come out and play much better in the second half and they did.
“At the end, you were thinking we’d left it behind us because we’d enough chances to win the game.”
Shane McGuigan and Cillian Ó Curraoin (free) treaded points early on but it was McHugh who hit the net in the ninth minute.
Conroy made the running with the Corofin man coming on the shoulder to scythe through to score, blasting to the net for a 1-1 to 0-1 lead.
Paul Cassidy did land three points for the Oaks but it was John Maher’s workrate that left Galway difficult to break down.
The pick of the first half points for Derry was Cassidy effort after Ciaran McFaul thumped the ball forward. Shane Walsh kicked two two pointers to stretch the lead.
Galway finished the half with a swift break upfield. Néill McNicholl left a shot short into ‘keeper Gleeson with Walsh throwing a dummy before kicking his side into a 1-10 to 0-4 interval lead.
Conor Glass won a free in the first attack after starting at full forward with McGuigan tapping over.
Céin D’Arcy cancelled out the score before Derry almost found the net only for John Daly to deny Néill McNicholl who snaked inside., McGuigan landed a two pointer from a free to make the score 1-11 to 0-8 before Murray took a hold of the game.
He notched a score before making one for Shane McGuigan and when Conor Doherty assisted for a Glass point, the game was on the turn.
Both teams left shots short into the ‘keeper in an error ridden and frantic final quarter.
Shane Walsh hit back with a two-point free but it was Shane McGuigan’s last three scores that saved the day for Derry.
Derry’s next outing is a trip to Croke Park to take on Dublin with Galway welcoming Donegal to Salthill.
“We have five (points) out of six which is not too bad,” summed up always manager Padraic Joyce.
“The players are disappointed because we were in a winning position but we didn’t see it out.
“We got more game-time into fellas, some need more work into the legs and we have Donegal next week. It will be a running game and we need to get lads ready.”
S McGuigan 0-8 (2ptf, 3f), P Cassidy, L Murray 0-3 each, N McNicholl and C Glass 0-1 each
S Walsh 0-8 (2 tpr, 1 tpf, 1 free), D McHugh 1-0, J Maher, S O’Neill, C Ó Curraoin (free), C D’Arcy and M Tierney 0-1 each
N McNicholl; D Baker, E McEvoy, M Bradley; C Doherty, B Rogers, D Cassidy; C Glass, A Tohill; B McCarron, C McFaul, E Doherty; N Toner; S McGuigan, P Cassidy
L Murray for McCarron (43), M Doherty for D Cassidy (51), C McMonagle for Toner (59), P McGrogan for Bradley (65)
C Gleeson; J McGrath, S Fitzgerald, L Silke; D McHugh, J Daly, S Kelly; P Conroy, J Maher; C D’Arcy, M Tierney, F Ó Laoi; S O’Neill; S Walsh, C Ó Curraoin,
R Finnerty for Ó Curraoin, J Heaney for Ó Laoi (49), K Molloy for O’Neill (55), D O’Flaherty for D’Arcy (61)
D Gough (Meath)
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