Galbally staying grounded despite great start

WITH ‘tough games coming down the line’ new Galbally manager Gavin McGilly is keen to dispel any potential lofty ambitions despite their excellent start to the season.

Well deserved road wins against seasoned operators in Ardboe and Dromore has left the Pearses sitting pretty after a fortnight of league action in Division One with a maximum four point haul safely tucked away.

Superbly crafted first half goals from Daniel Kerr and Ronan Nugent provided the platform for an impressive 2-10 to 0-10 triumph over the St Dympna’s at Gardrum Park last Friday night.

The victory was especially satisfying for McGilly as Galbally had to make do without the services of Christopher Morris- man of the match the previous week- while during the course of the encounter they also lost two more key players-Conor Donaghy and captain Enda McGarrity- to injury.

However McGilly maintained that the hectic weekly schedule of games which all clubs have now embarked upon meant absentees would become a headache for all teams

“ It’s going to be the nature of this Division.

“The fixtures come at you hard and fast so lads are going to pick up knocks and injuries.

“ You don’t know who you have on Monday nights coming out with knocks from the previous game. But there will be plenty of football to look forward to now.”

Annaghmore native McGilly took over the reigns at the Pearses in the off-season, stepping into the sizeable footsteps of Paddy Crozier who led the team to the All-Ireland Intermediate Final in January 2023 at Croke Park.

McGilly of course embarked on a similar journey when previously managing in Tyrone as assistant alongside Audi Kelly when Moy lifted the All-Ireland Intermediate crown back in February 2018.

He has forged a close working relationship with former Galbally goalkeeper Paddy Tally over the years (most notably St Mary’s College’s Sigerson Cup triumph in 2017) and is expected to lean on the advice of the former Tyrone assistant as this season unfolds.

For now McGilly is satisfied with how the opening two displays have unfolded.

“ We were looking forward to getting playing football so we have got off to a good start alright.

“ Them lads have been showing well in training. They are good footballers. They have no fear of playing and just go out there and do it. It’s nice to see that.

“ It was a good performance and we have to be happy with it. The lads went at it from the start. It was very pleasing.”

However the Armagh man was refusing to get too carried away, adding that plenty of potential pitfalls lay ahead in the unforgiving world of Tyrone top flight football.

“ Tyrone Senior football is probably the most competitive league in Ireland. A lot of issues aren’t sorted out to the last day of the season so while we are happy to get four points from the first two games there is a long road to go.

“ There will be tough games coming down the line we are aware of that. Teams feel their way back into the season in different ways so we won’t be reading to much into it, especially when county players come back into it too with their clubs.”

Next up for Galbally this Friday night is their first home outing of the season against another team who have enjoyed a perfect start to 2024- Carrickmore.

McGilly cautioned: “ We have Carrickmore at home next. They are always a strong team with a great tradition.

“We always know what you get with Carrickmore so it should be a good battle.

“But whoever is fit to play we will give it a go.”