Allianz Football League Division One: Galway 1-9 Tyrone 0-8
MICKEY Harte’s 16th season in charge is facing an early-season test with a big response sought when they host All-Ireland champions Dublin next weekend after suffering a dismal defeat in Tuam Stadium.
Harte was the first to acknowledge that it will require a big improvement if they are to oust the Dubs after a game where little went right for the new-look Tyrone side.
They managed just three points from play in Tuam, never led during the game and having lost Darren McCurry to a 25th minute red card, finished with just a dozen on the field when Peter Harte and Michael McKernan picked up black cards in the dying seconds having used all their subs.
“It was one of those days,” said Harte. “We had the breeze, elements at our back. We thought we could get a head start but it turned on its head and we lost an early goal and a point.
“Before the game has started, virtually, we were in an uphill battle. It was strange given that we were playing with the breeze. It was very difficult too to get the measure of the breeze. It wasn’t helping in scoring for either team.
“Galway seized their chance early on and held on to what they had. You have to give them full credit.
“We played a lot of good football and just our finishing let us down in the first-half. Three scores from 10 attempts that’s not going to win us many games.
“If we were better in that department we probably could have slipped ahead again by half-time.”
Instead, they found themselves 1-3 to 0-3 adrift at the break despite playing with the breeze.
They were stunned when new Galway captain Damien Comer slipped inside to drill home a goal after just 16 seconds.
Comer followed up his goal with a superb point from the left and then Shane Walsh made it 1-2 top 0-0 after just seven minutes.
It took Tyrone 15 minutes to score their first point, a good effort from the right wing by Tiernan McCann and after Walsh got a second free for Galway, Harte’s men cut the gap to a goal by the break thanks to efforts from Conor McAliskey and Cathal McShane.
Another effort from McAliskey just after the restart suggested a big second-half from Tyrone but two points from Eamon Brannigan settled Galway.
Tyrone were relying on frees to cut the gap with Peter Harte hitting a couple and Ronan O’Neill also found the range but having got the gap back to two, they were unable to prevent a big finish from Galway.
Comer took his haul to 1-2 and Walsh, this time with the left foot, pointed a third free to mark their return to the top flight in style.
And Harte was the first to admit Tyrone face a massive early season test when Jim Gavin’s men head north next Saturday.
“That’s not going to be easy. We have to play Dublin sometime and you are better getting them early in the campaign than later.
“We have to just roll up our sleeves now and see can we raise the level and standard of our game,” said Harte.
Galway, on the other hand, could hardly have asked for a better return to the top flight after being relegated in 2012, but manager Kevin Walsh was urging his men not to get carried away.
They face a trip to Donegal, who they knocked out of the Championship last year, next weekend and Walsh doesn’t want them losing the run of themselves.
“It is only match: we are not going to lose the run of ourselves. The big thing for us was that we were competitive on the day
“I know they had a man sent off at a particular time and that can work for you and against you but it was important we held our shape.
“There are a lot of lads here who hadn’t played division one before so it is a learning curve for us.
“But this is only one seventh of the way through the campaign,” added the former double All-Ireland winner.
Galway: R Lavelle; D Kyne, SA O Ceallaigh, E Kerin; S Kelly, G Bradshaw, C Sweeney; P Conroy, P Cooke; J Heaney, A Varley, E Brannigan (0-2); S Walsh (0-4, 0-3f), D Comer (1-2), P Sweeney (0-1)
Subs: P Cunningham for Varley (52), T Flynn for P Sweeney (60), J Duane for Kelly (66), G O’Donnell for Brannigan (73), S Armstrong for Walsh (76)
Yellow cards: A Varley 20, E Brannigan 23, P Conroy 27, D Comer 44, E Kerin 50, S A O’Ceallaigh 53, P Sweeney 58, P Cooke 75
Tyrone: N Morgan; M McKernan, R McNamee, HP McGeary; T McCann (0-1), P Hampsey, K McGeary; P McNulty, M Donnelly (0-1); C McCann, N Sludden, P Harte (0-2, 0-2f); C McAliskey (0-2, 0-1f), C McShane (0-1), D McCurry
Subs: M Bradley for McNamee (20), R O’Neill (0-1) for McAliskey (46), D McClure for McNulty (46), R McNabb for K McGeary (51), R Donnelly for C McCann (57), L Brennan for Sludden (68).
Yellow cards: N Sludden 6, P McNulty 19, P Hampsey 44, M Bradley 50, H P McGeary 75; Red card: D McCurry 26
Black card: P Harte 72, M McKernan 78
Referee: Ciaran Brannigan (Down)
