Derry and Galway pick up an vital point after chaotic thriller 

CHAOTIC THRILLER: Supporters brave the wet weather. Pic:©INPHO/Lorcan Doherty

All-Ireland SFC Group 4: Derry 2-20 (2-3-14) Galway 4-14 (4-1-12)

Bedlam on ice. An unforgiving afternoon in Celtic Park proved perfect conditions for a wild thriller. Galway were eight down twice in the second half and will still be wondering how they didn’t win it.

As the rain reached bone-seeping status, Kieran Molloy attempted a two-pointer in the final minute, Galway’s seventh shot from outside the arc with only one proving accurate. The dropping shot was revived by a miraculous John Maher leap. Matthew Tierney managed to punch it in for his second goal and suddenly, the visitors were on the cusp of the perfect heist.

Behind the goal, Derry coach Paul McFlynn stood with his head in his hands. Galway kitman Ian Hynes stood beside him with a celebratory arm in the air. No one knew why they were there. No one cared. It was a game to be felt rather than understood.

Conor Doherty kicked a deserved equaliser before the final hooter after a driving run by the immense Conor Glass. He set the tone throughout for Derry’s challenge. His final tally was 1-3, a heap of kick-out wins and a fully-merited yellow card. He pushed the physicality right to the line. Everyone else on the field followed.

Derry led 1-11 to 2-6 at the turnaround having brought it from the start. After nine games without a win in 2025, they were never going to do anything else. Brendan Rogers, Paul Cassidy and Shane McGuigan all slotted early two-pointers. Shane Walsh kept his side in touch with a gorgeous pass back to John Maher that eventually led to a Robert Finnerty goal. The initial shot was well saved, but Finnerty reacted first to the break. Walsh skipped past Eoin McEvoy for a second green flag soon after.

None of it knocked a determined unit off stride. Their response to the first Galway goal was for Diarmuid Baker to burst forward and create one for Glass. That drive down the heart of the away side became a feature.

Maher hit the first score of the second half only for Derry to come with a 1-4 burst. The electric Lachlan Murray came off the bench, cut through the Galway defence and set Niall Loughlin up for the goal. An outstanding feature of their play was the high-press deployed at any possible opportunity.

Somehow, Galway found a way back. They did it by peppering the posts from outside the arc and making some big calls. In the first half, Sam O’Neill’s first championship start began with the opening point and ended after just 19 minutes as Cein D’Arcy took over to fix some obvious kick-out issues. Damien Comer and Peter Cooke were brought in for Paul Conroy and Cillian McDaid early in the second half. Shane Walsh was withdrawn on the hour mark. 2024 All-Star Dylan McHugh was also taken off before the end. A team that looked settled coming into championship is now anything but.

Cooke raised one orange flag and missed two more opportunities. Tierney fluffed a central free after a three-up breach having already blasted past Ben McKinless after a terrific cross field ball by Finnerty. Comer caused wreck. A long ball on top of him yielded a mark to cut the gap to two.

Each goal was a timely redeemer. Joyce’s charges were two down before their first, five down before the second, six down before the third and two down before the fourth. They never stopped trying. No one else could afford to look away. This is the new game now. Hold on. Don’t blink.

The result means Galway must get a result against All-Ireland champions Armagh who are already safe at the top of the group. Dublin and Derry face each other with their summer on the line.

In the end, neither side got what they wanted. Both took what they needed. A point hard earned.

Scorers for Derry: C. Glass 1-3 (1 45); N. Loughlin 1-2; S. McGuigan 0-4 (1 tpf, 1f); P. Cassidy (tp), B. Rogers (tp) 0-3 each; L. Murray 0-2; C. McFaul, N. Toner, C. Doherty 0-1 each.

Sco rers for Galway: M. Tierney 2-0; R. Finnerty 1-3 (1 free); S. Walsh 1-1 (1 free); M. Thompson 0-2, P. Cooke 0-2 (tp), D. Comer (mark), S. O’Neill, J. Maher, P. Conroy. C. D’Arcy, S. Kelly 0-1 each.

DERRY: B. McKinless; D. Baker, E. McEvoy, P. McGurk; C. Doherty, B. Rogers, P. McGrogan; C. Glass, D. Higgins; E. Doherty, P. Cassidy, C. McFaul; S. McGuigan, N. Loughlin, N. Toner.

S ubs: L. Murray for Doherty (44); R. Forbes for McGurk (57); A. Tohill for Loughlin (60); E. Doherty for Toner (63).

GALWAY: C. Gleeson; J. McGrath, S. Ó Maoilchiaráin, J. Glynn; D. McHugh, S. Kelly, L. Silke; P. Conroy, J. Maher; M. Thompson, C. McDaid, S. O’Neill; M. Tierney, R. Finnerty, S. Walsh.

Subs: C. D’Arcy for O’Neill (19); D. Comer for McDaid, P. Cooke for Conroy (both 50); J. Daly for Walsh (60); K. Molloy for McHugh (65); J. Heaney for Ó Maoilchiaráin (67 – blood).

Referee: N. Cullen (Fermanagh).