TRIBE FIND THEIR VIBE
IF FOOTBALL is a funny old game, it is unlikely that Mickey Harte’s Derry see the humour in it. Less than two months ago they were officially Dublin’s number one challenger, Allianz League winners with a squad fattened in quality and depth after a nourishing spring in Harte’s care.
At the same time, Galway, nobbled by injuries, didn’t so much have a dressing room as a primary health care centre as they hobbled over the line to Division 1 safety.
But now Galway have one foot in the All-Ireland quarter-final, have just about all of their key bodies back, rested and ready, although the sight of a downcast Damien Comer limping off in the third quarter with what looked like the recurrence of an ankle injury cast a shadow over the Connacht champions’ win here.
Meanwhile, Harte’s woes continue to increase.
The late withdrawals of Conor Doherty and Eoin McEvoy, allied to the absence of Niall Loughlin and Cormac Murphy from the match day panel, all compounded by the season-ending injury to Padraic McGrogan suddenly left the Allianz League champions looking bare and vulnerable.
If all of that was not enough, they found an even more expensive way to lose a key player here, Gareth McKinless’ stamp on Comer’s ankle in the 21st minute receiving the straight red card that it deserved, although it was unclear if that incident was linked directly to the Galway fullforward’s premature departure.
What is certain is that, not only was it the defining moment in this game, it may also be the moment when Derry’s summer went down the toilet.
Already without the entire half-back line that started against Donegal, it means that when they entertain Armagh in a fortnight’s time, McKinless will be watching from the stand.
In so many ways, his departure drained the game of intrigue, not least in terms of how hard and how full they, especially given how they suffered against Donegal, would press on Conor Gleeson’s kick-outs.
To be fair that was answered to a point prior to McKinless’ departure, Odhran Lynch not abandoning his screening role but doing so with the handbrake up, never going beyond his 45 on restarts, but otherwise staying true to his sweeper keeper role.
In truth, though, it was Galway’s decision, even after McKinless’ departure, not to immediately press Lynch’s kick-out, which was an indictment of just how blunt Derry were at the other end.
With ball in hand, they simply could not convert; their five wides were bad enough in the first half, but it was the four kicks they dropped into Gleeson’s hands that were damning.
In contrast, Galway were clinical, while one of the consequences of McKinless’s red card was that it forced Conor Glass to vacate midfield and drop back in a sweeping role which allowed Paul Conroy to becoming a dominant figure, kicking two of his three points in the first half, at the end of which they led by 0-8 to 0-6.
And when Galway did press in the aftermath; they got maximum reward. Seven minutes into the second half, Lynch’s short kick-out was intercepted by Matthew Tierney, who released Sean Kelly, whose initial effort was blocked on the line by Diarmuid Baker, but the Galway captain followed up to push home the rebound.
If Harte will take any comfort from this, it is that while the health of his squad has been fractured, their morale has not.
When Conroy kicked his third point, set up by another turnover by the outstanding Dylan McHugh, Galway led by 1-13 to 0-10 with 13 minutes of regular time to go.
But Derry, with two Lachlann Murray points sandwiching another from Brendan Rogers, refused to go away and, with seven minutes left, Shane McGuigan had a pot-shot for what would have been an equalising goal beaten away by Gleeson, and from there Galway broke up field for Cien Darcy to palm the ball to the net.
That might suggest that this was a game of far finer margins than the final scoreline indicated, but the reality is that this was played on Galway’s terms.
And as Derry struggled to get any impact from a weakened bench, Pádraic Joyce appeared to be using his as a muscle-flexing exercise, with Darcy, Daniel Flaherty, Liam O’Conghaile, and – prompting one of the loudest cheers of the evening – Cillian McDaid for his first appearance of the season all coming on to have an impact.
The sense is that Galway’s timing is on the money, albeit Rob Finnerty and Kelly also limping out late in the game was a reminder that there is rarely a corner to be turned when it comes to injuries – and the experience of last year when an unexpected defeat to Armagh in the group stages saw them derailed in a preliminary quarter-final should serve them well this time.
In contrast, Derry are now heading down a road where happy endings are somewhat of a rarity.