DAMIEN SO BAD OMENS

Tribe skipper believes taking a backward step on Sunday would have boded ill for crunch clash in May

DAMIEN COMER believes Championship tension caused Sunday’s Galway-mayo tie to boil over.

Referee Anthony Nolan issued three red cards in a stormy finish to the game at Pearse Stadium, which Galway won by 1-13 to 0-11 to maintain their 100% start in Division One of the NFL.

The reds, shown to Mayo’s Cillian and Diarmuid O’connor, and Paul Conroy of Galway, were among 18 cards issued by Nolan and he was forced to play almost 10 minutes of injury-time.

The win was Galway’s third in succession over Mayo in League and Championship, with the counties set to clash again on May 13 in Castlebar in the Connacht quarter-final.

“Galway and Mayo is always going to have its own bit of spark,” said Tribe skipper Comer (inset), who scored 0-2 on Sunday.

“It was evident in the second half. It’s a bit of handbags stuff. It’s the fact that everyone had an eye on May 13.

“They were all looking forward to that and no one wanted to give a backwards step and that led to the bit of argy-bargy.”

Comer is encouraged by the form shown by the younger players that manager

Walsh has introduced.

“There is a great bond, there is a great friendship between the lads. There are a lot of young lads coming through.

“For the more seasoned campaigners it’s up to us to try and put an arm around them, put them in under our wing, and get them used to the system and the way we play.

“Thankfully the likes of

Sean Kelly and

Sean Andy O Kevin Ceallaigh have fitted in like gloves. They have slotted in as if they were seasoned campaigners and long may that continue.” Comer faces a hectic schedule this week as he captains NUIG in the Sigerson Cup semi-finals against DIT tomorrow and, if they are victorious, against UUJ or UCD in the final on Saturday.

“The body has got a fair old going in the last few weeks. I am feeling like a soccer player in that you have a game on the