Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Tayl of the tape’s not known yet
DONEGAL boss Rory Gallagher knows his head could be on the block after his men were blown away by a fired-up Galway side.
Gallagher’s third year in charge ended in a humiliating defeat with 13 men as the Tribesmen bounced back from their shock Connacht final loss.
Donegal fans – who made up the bulk of the 10,564 crowd at Markievicz Park in Sligo on Saturday evening – know their side is in transition but they were left shell-shocked.
“Whatever comes, comes. I am around long enough, that’s the nature of it. All I will say, I am disappointed with today,” said Gallagher (inset) after the game.
“From day one we were carrying a huge panel. We took in a lot of fellas that were Under-21. We know there is going to be a huge turnover, in the last couple of years it started gradually.
“The reality is you can’t continue to play for Donegal from 2003-04 and still be playing 2017-18.”
It was an evening when nothing went right for them. They trailed by 3-9 to 0-7 at the break and were down to 13 men after 48 minutes when, with all subs used, skipper Michael Murphy and Martin Mcelhinney picked up black cards.
They had already lost goalkeeper Mark Anthony Mcginley to a black card after 25 minutes when he hauled down Tom Flynn.
Liam Silke blasted the penalty to the bottom right corner.
But the real damage was done by Johnny Heaney, who scored 2-1 in the opening half.
The cushion Galway built up meant they didn’t miss full-back Declan Kyne when he picked up a second yellow late in the game.
And while Danny Cummins finished their fourth goal, the biggest cheer of the evening came when Michael Meehan made his Championship return after battling with an ankle injury since 2013.
“It was good to see Michael back and the crowd gave him a good shout,” said Galway manager Kevin Walsh, who now has just a week to get his side ready to face Kerry in Croke Park next Sunday.
“This is probably the first time in the last three years that the lads were given the chance to come out and put things right.
“Last year we had to carry that defeat to Tipperary for the winter. There’s two ways of going when you get the second chance: bounce back with character or fade away.
“We are not going to be in there in the dressing-room clapping each other on the back. We only have a number of days to get ready. We will enjoy this for the next two hours and get back to the job at hand.”
Walsh’s men will now try to join the Galway hurlers in the All-ireland semi-finals next month, while Donegal face a bleak winter after this dismal Championship exit. KATIE TAYLOR still doesn’t know who she will be fighting on her American debut in New York on Saturday night.
It’s understood the New York State Commission, who demand competitive fights on their cards, have already turned down a suggested opponent from Taylor’s team.
The Bray woman, who has cruised through her first five pro bouts, is slated to fight over eight rounds on the Adrien Broner versus Mikey Garcia undercard at the Barclays Centre.
Also on the undercard will be unbeaten Cork southpaw Noel Murphy, who meets undefeated Julio Cesar Sanchez.
Meanwhile, Taylor’s dad and former coach Peter has hailed the performance of Irish lightweight David Oliver Joyce in London on Saturday night.
The Rio Olympian improved to two straight wins at the Brentwood Centre after a third round TKO of Lesther Cantillano, who had gone the distance in all his previous fights.
Taylor, who was working Joyce’s corner in London, wants to see his man challenge for an Irish title by the end of the year.
He said: “David was brilliant. His opponent has never been stopped before, I thought we’d get the six rounds out of it but David dismantled him easily.”
Joyce is scheduled to fight again in Belfast in September. “His next fight will be an eight-rounder and hopefully we can get a title fight by the end of the year,” added Taylor.