Derry defeated by Galway after Gareth McKinless first half red card

Galway 2-14, Derry 0-15

The first half dismissal of Gareth McKinless proved the seminal moment as Derry began their All Ireland journey with defeat to Galway in Pearse Park on Saturday evening.

There was nothing between the two teams in an opening quarter which was tied at four points apiece before McKinless was adjudged to have stepped on the ankle of Damien Comer following a foul on the forward. The loss of the influential Ballinderry player meant Galway were able to release John Daly into a free role and from there Derry were playing catch up.

It was a tall order but they almost managed it too when Shane McGuigan saw his fierce effort, which would have brought the sides level with eight minutes left, saved by Galway keeper Connor Gleeson. But, in a game of fine margins, that save proved the catalyst for a second Galway goal courtesy of Cein Darcy and there was no way back.

It had been an opening half of two quarters; pre red card and post red card. Prior to McKinless' 20th minute rush of blood Derry would have been quietly content with their start. Galway had bossed the majority of possession but Derry were matching them score for score at 0-4 to 0-4. Indeed the resultant free from the red card incident saw Galway hit the front for the first time in the match thanks to Robert Finnerty's effort.

With Conor McCluskey detailed on Shane Walsh and Chrissy McKaigue picking up the dangerous Damien Comer, the Oak Leafers looked compact in defence, if a little wasteful at the opposite end, a fact illustrated by five first Derry half wides and five shots dropping short. By contrast the home side had hit their eight first half points from nine shots.

With Derry losing both Eoin McEvoy and Conor Doherty to injury, there were starts for Declan Cassidy and Emmett Bradley and the early signs were good as Paul Cassidy and Bradley fired Derry into a two point lead inside six minutes, the latter after a flowing Oak Leaf move involving Ethan Doherty and Conor Glass.

Johnny Heaney eventually got the home scoreboard ticking on seven minutes to set in motion tit for tat scoring and Galway were level seconds later when a superb Comer catch from the kick-out saw the forward release Mattie Tierney. McGuigan (free) and Paul Conroy then swapped scores before Ciaran McFaul and Finnerty did likewise but already by this point Glass and Odhran Lynch had seen efforts drop short.

Then came the red card. Tierney won a long kick to send Finnerty away. He returned the pass for Tierney to find Comer who was fouled by McKinless as he broke forward. It was an innocuous enough foul but with Comer on the floor, McKinless then stepped on his ankle and it was spotted by linesman Niall Cullen who informed Kildare referee Brendan Crawley who immediately brandished red.

Suddenly the complexion of the game changed and Galway were in charge.

After Finnerty edged them ahead, Derry responded through Ethan Doherty's fine score before scores from Conroy, Finnerty and John Daly put Galway three up for the first time in the game at 0-8 to 0-5.

A sublime McGuigan point reduced the deficit but it was sandwiched in between more efforts dropping short, this time from Paul Cassidy, Lynch and Emmet Bradley. Coupled with those five wides, it painted a wasteful tale as Derry turned around two short at 0-8 to 0-6.

Mickey Harte responded by introducing Donncha Gilmore for Declan Cassidy at the break and it had the desired impact, initially at least, as points from Glass and Lachlan Murray drew Derry level within six minutes of the restart.

Another Finnerty free had Galway back in front before disaster for the visitors as Lynch's kick-out went straight to Tierney in space. He fed Shane Walsh who was able to pick out Sean Kelly in acres of space. Kelly managed to beat the advancing Lynch but not Diarmuid Baker who got back to clear off the line. Unfortunately the clearance went straight back to Kelly who made no mistake at the second attempt.

Now four behind Derry had to push and chasing a game a man short is neither advisable nor often fruitful.

Galway made full use of the spaces Derry left, Shane Walsh grabbing his opening two scores of the day to help ease the Tribesmen into a 1-12 to 1-10 lead with 15 minutes remaining and leave Derry with a mountain to climb.

Harte's team battled away to stay in touch Lachlan Murray (2) and Brendan Rogers scoring excellent points to bring it back to three points as the entered its final 10 minutes at 1-13 to 0-13.

Derry needed a goal and they almost had it when McFaul's lofted pass was superbly caught McGuigan who spun and shot in one lovely movement only to see his shot beaten away by Galway keeper, Gleeson. Worse still, Galway broke away into the empty spaces of Derry's half for Cein Darcy to grab the second goal and kill the contest.

Derry never stopped with Gilmore registering a first championship point at senior level and a championship debut for Cahir McMonagle but they were merely footnotes on a bad day at the office, one which means Derry have plenty of work to do against Armagh in two weeks' time.

Derry scorers: Shane McGuigan (0-4, 2f), Paul Cassidy (0-1), Emmet Bradley (0-1), Ciaran McFaul (0-2), Ethan Doherty (0-1), Conor Glass (0-1), Lachlan Murray (0-3), Brendan Rogers (0-1), Donncha Gilmore (0-1)

Galway scorers: Sean Kelly (1-0), Johnny Heaney (0-1), Mattie Tierney (0-1), Paul Conroy (0-3), Robert Finnerty (0-4, 2f), John Daly (0-2), Shane Walsh (0-2), Liam O Conghaile (0-1)

Derry: Odhrán Lynch; Conor McCluskey, Brendan Rogers, Chrissy McKaigue; Diarmuid Baker; Ciaran McFaul, Gareth McKinless; Conor Glass, Emmett Bradley; Ethan Doherty, Declan Cassidy, Paul Cassidy; Niall Toner, Shane McGuigan, Lachlan Murray. (Subs) Donncha Gilmore for D Cassidy, HT: Eunan Mulholland for N Toner, 47mins; Cahir McMonagle for L Murray, 67mins; Shea Downey for

Galway: Connor Gleeson; Johnny McGrath, Sean Fitzgerald, Jack Glynn; Dylan McHugh, John Daly, Liam Silke; Paul Conroy, Sean Kelly; Johnny Heaney, John Maher, Mattie Tierney; Rob Finnerty, Damien Comer, Shane Walsh. (Subs) Cein Darcy for D Comer (inj), 46mins; Cillian McDaid for J Maher, 58mins; Daniel O'Flaherty for S Kelly, 60mins; Cillian O Curraoin for R Finnerty, 63mins; Liam O Conghaile for J Heaney, 67mins;

Referee: Brendan Crawley (Kildare)