Tribe top Tyrone in Tuam

GALWAY 0-16 TYRONE 0-13

THERE was further western woe for Tyrone at rainswept Tuam on Sunday afternoon as they again came up short on a long trip into Connacht, this time falling to a three point loss to Galway in National League Division One.

A late flurry of scores (four without reply) in the last few minutes highlighted that there is no shortage of spirit and character in the Red Hand ranks, but a dearth of quality in the attacking sector cost them dearly.

Tyrone were playing against the elements in the first half so a possession based approach was always likely to be the template they adopted, as they methodically sought to infiltrate enemy lines.

The vistors were thumped by over twenty points on their last league visit to this delapitated old stadium but a repeat scenario never looked on the cards as a low scoring first quarter unfolded.

The lively Matthew Tierney capped a sweeping Galway move with the opening point in the third minute, after defenders Eoghan Kelly and Sean Kelly quickly transferred possession upfield, but such penetration and speed of thought was a rarity in the first period.

Goal chances were thin on the ground, though the hone keeper Connor Gleesson had to react sharply to fist Michael McKernan’s dangerous delivery around his own posts for a ’45’.

Niall Morgan missed the resultant placed ball, one of six wides which stymied the Red Hands momentum in the opening half, though in mitigation they were shooting into a swirling wind.

Darragh Canavan eventually tagged on the equaliser with a close range free just before the quarter hour mark, after Conor Meyler had been fouled, but midfielder Paul Conroy then quickly slotted a free at the other end to put the Tribesmen one in front again.

Just past the twenty minute mark Galway attacker Peter Cooke breathed some life into proceedings with a quality score, after Daniel O’Flaherty broke with speed from deep, but in the main the Tyrone defence was dealing fairly comfortably with the Galway attacking sorties, even though the hosts were bossing the midfield exchanges, and latching onto a series of Tyrone kick-outs.

The Connacht men seemed to be shifting through the gears as Conroy landed a sweet 50m free and Tierney followed suit with a dead ball conversion from closer in which eased then 0-5 to 0-1 in front.

The away side were in need of a fillip and it came from an unlikely source with half back Cormac Quinn drilling an attempt between the sticks on the half hour mark, Tyrone’s first score from open play.

Belatedly now things were beginning to open up as Matthew Tierney and Darren McCurry exchanged quality points. And just before the interval Galway corner forward Jack Glynn was found in space by Cillian McDaid and he provided a casual strike over the bar. (Half-time Galway 0-7 Tyrone 0-3)

The visitors re-emerged apparently pumped up for the challenge and they quickly halved the deficit as Cathal McShane swivelled to convert and Darren McCurry knocked over a close range free.

With the wind in their sails, they sought to peg the home side back. Darragh Canavan set Hamspey bulldozing through but before he could pull the trigger sub Johnny McGrath got in a timely interception.

Canavan was then presented with a goal chance himself after a deft lay off from Brian Kennedy but he spilled the ball as he eyed the target and could only screw an effort wide of the mark. It was all Tyrone at this juncture and McCurry planted a beauty to draw them to within one, 0-7 to 0-6 with 46 minutes having elapsed.

That was still the margin as Conroy and Cormac Munroe traded brilliant scores, however gradually Galway were reasserting some degree of control, with Conroy and Sweeney to the fore.

They outscored Tyrone 0-7 to 0-1 in a blistering fifteen minute spell which took the match completely out of the visitors grasp.

The running power and purpose of the hosts forced Tyrone on the backfoot, and while McShane did slip over a ‘mark’ a sequence of fine scores from Conroy, Sweeney (three as a second half sub) and Tierney left Tyrone fearing another Tuam tanking.

It was 0-16 to 0-9 as the match ticked towards injury time but Tyrone at least refused to fold, as Richard Donnelly and Peter Harte drilled over points from close range, while McCurry and Hampsey also registered. It was too little too late however.

Teams & Scorers

Galway

Conor Gleeson, Eoghan Kelly, Sean Kelly (0-1), Jack Glynn (0-1), Dylan McHugh, John Daly, Daniel O’Flaherty, Paul Conroy (0-3,2frees), Cillian McDaid, Matthew Tierney (0-6,3 frees), Peter Cooke (0-1), Johnny Heaney, Patrick Kelly, Eoin Finnerty, Ian Burke (0-1). Subs used: Johnny McGrath for D O’Flaherty (h-time), Cathal Sweeney (0-3) for E Finnerty (h-time), John Maher for P Kelly (68), Robert Finnerty for C McDaid (70)

Tyrone

Niall Morgan, Michael McKernan, Cormac Munroe (0-1), Padraig Hampsey (0-1), Cormac Quinn (0-1), Peter Harte, Niall Devlin, Brian Kennedy (0-1), Frank Burns, Conor Meyler, Conn Kilpatrick, Niall Sludden, Darren McCurry (0-4,2frees), Cathal McShane (0-2,1 mark), Darragh Canavan (0-2,2frees). Subs used: Joe Oguz for N Devlin (50 mins), Ruairi Canavan for N Sludden (56 mins), Richard Donnelly (0-1) for C Quinn (57), Matthew Donnelly for F Burns (64)

Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare)