Relief as Galway win first time out

By JIM CARNEY Galway .1-15 Derry .0-15 THE RESULT was everything at Pearse Stadium on Sunday. A reasonably good display too, in fairness, but it was all about winning first time out and avoiding the brutally tough task of having to chase League points from a losing start. Especially as Galway have only three home games in this yearâ€â„¢s League. The two to come are against Westmeath on March 3rd at Tuam Stadium, and against Wexford on Sunday March 24th, at Pearse Stadium. That game will have a 12.45 p.m. start to facilitate a National Leagues double-bill; the football game will be followed by Galway vs Cork in hurling. Alan Mulhollandâ€â„¢s footballers will be away to Louth next Sunday, at the Gaelic grounds, Drogheda, 2.00 oâ€â„¢clock; referee Derek Fahy (Longford). Louth will try to pick themselves up after a demoralising defeat by Westmeath last Sunday, at Cusack Park, Mullingar. They lost by only one point (0-16 to 2-9) but Westmeath had a defender sent off as early as the 20th minute and shortly before half-time they were six points down after two Louth goals. To lose from there was hard for new Louth manager Aidan Oâ€â„¢Rourke (former Armagh player) to take. Galway will be odds-on favourites to win again next Sunday and prepare for the Westmeath game on March 3rd in the right frame of mind, on four League points after two games. Michael Meehanâ€â„¢s return is a massive boost to Galway. Starting his first League campaign in four years is an achievement in itself, such was the very serious nature of his injuries (ankle, knee and shoulder) with his ankle problem the biggest threat to his career. At 28, time is on his side, as a man who takes great care of himself and loves his sport, but clearly it will not be easy for him to keep going unscathed when the ground becomes hard in the summer and all who admire this wonderful sportsman will be keeping their fingers crossed for him. The Caltra stalwartâ€â„¢s priceless value to the Galway attack in the post-Padraic Joyce era was strongly underlined last Sunday when he scored 1-5 and was hugely influential in all that happened around him, plus the help he gave further out the field several times, including one run back into his full-back line to give rearguard support and set a magnificent example for the rest of the team. Michael Martin at centre-forward was Galwayâ€â„¢s next top performer on the day, in the first half in particular, while all the other forwards worked hard and played their part in the overall team effort. Midfield was less satisfactory; itâ€â„¢s a huge problem for Galway anyway, this area, from as far back as Kevin Walshâ€â„¢s time, and itâ€â„¢s not clear at this stage how it can be solved. Similarly, while an unusually weak Division 2 should not leak a deluge of goals, home or away, the Galway defence chosen for the Derry match did not look tight enough or physically strong enough to suggest it will be able, as a unit, to hold a naturally attacking Mayo team in the Connacht Championship at Pearse Stadium on May 19th. Thatâ€â„¢s the biggest date in the 2013 calendar for Galway and with a view to proper preparation for it, especially with Mayo likely to reach the closing stages in their Division 1 campaign, it will be vital that Galway stay in the top half of Division 2 and much better, of course, if they can challenge for promotion which would send out a great pre-Championship signal. Galway are still regarded as a work in progress and indeed thatâ€â„¢s how Alan Mulholland has described his team, while Derry are in transition with new manager Brian McIver looking to youth and his top forward Paddy Bradley not ready yet to come back after injury. A big talking-point after Sundayâ€â„¢s game was the failure of both sides to play well with the cold Atlantic wind at their backs. Derry, in particular, didnâ€â„¢t know how to handle it in the first half, going scoreless for the first 13 minutes and failing to get their target man at full-forward, Eoin Bradley, into the game. In fairness, Finian Hanley, Galway captain again this year, was on his toes right from the start and well â€Å“upâ€Â for this man-to-man duel. Galway played their best football in the first half, to lead by double scores, 0-8 to 0-4, but they also missed two goal chances: Danny Cummins drove over the bar instead of trying to keep his shot low; and Seán Denvir, at the end of a great run down the left wing, blasted the ball against the crossbar. The only goal of the game came early in the second half when a goal effort by Michael Martin came back off the bar and the alert Michael Meehan punched it into the Derry net. At that stage, the visitors had pulled a point back and they werenâ€â„¢t too upset by the Galway goal. Derry points followed from Ryan Bell and Eoin Bradley (free), and it took a Mike Meehan free to settle Galway again, at 1-9 to 0-6. Derry now mastered the tricky Salthill wind; Galway went through a lean spell, and Derry hit four points in a row. At 1-9 to 0-11, Galway were doing no more than hanging on but Derry then hit three wides and two Galway subs came to the rescue: Paul Conroy started an attacking move that Gary Oâ€â„¢Donnell finished with a vital point. From there to the final whistle, Galway increased the tempo of their game and were worthy winners as two more subs, Eoin Concannon and Mark Hehir, got on the scoresheet. A Derry sub, Raymond Wilkinson, an experienced player, was a point-scorer too, and it was interesting to reflect afterwards on how both sides benefited so much from using their subs. It should be said that both goalkeepers, Maghnus Breathnach of Galway and Derryâ€â„¢s Eoin McNicholl, played really well. In general, a good day for Galway and from the treatment tables they have Donal Oâ€â„¢Neill, Gareth Bradshaw, Ciarán McGrath, Conor Doherty, Thomas Flynn, Greg Higgins and one or two others to come back, along with club-tied Keith Kelly (Ballinasloe). Galway: M. Breathnach; J. Moore, F. Hanley, captain, J. Duane; C. Sweeney, G. Sice, G. Sweeney; N. Coleman, F. Ó Curraoin; J. Oâ€â„¢Brien, M. Martin (0-3), S. Denvir; S. Armstrong (0-2), M. Meehan (1-5, 0-2 frees), D. Cummins (0-1). Subs., E. Concannon (0-1), for Oâ€â„¢Brien, 45 mins; P. Conroy (0-1), for Denvir, 51 mins; G. Oâ€â„¢Donnell (0-1), for C. Sweeney, 53 mins; M. Hehir (0-1), for M. Martin, 64 mins. Derry: E. McNicholl; R. Ferris, D. McBride, C. McWilliams; C. McKaigue, M. Lynch, captain, S. L. McGoldrick; Patsy Bradley (0-1), P. J. McCloskey (0-3); E. Lynn (0-2), R. Bell (0-2, one free), D. Heavron; C Devlin, E. Bradley (0-3, all frees), J Kielt (0-2). Subs., G. Oâ€â„¢Kane, for McWilliams, 29 mins; B. McGoldrick (0-1), for P. Bradley, 43 mins; R. Wilkinson (0-1), for Devlin, 55 mins; E. McGuckin, for Heavron, 60 mins; J. McCamley, for Kielt, 70 mins. Referee: Michael Duffy (Sligo). Herald Sport Man of the Match: Michael Meehan.