Galway1-14 Tyrone 2-9IF EVER the GAA wanted to market Gaelic football across the wider world, they should just send these two counties off to play exhibition games.
Yet again, Galway and Tyrone produced a wonderful game of league football, full of fine, adventurous score taking and containing much of what is best about the sport. For the record, Galway won the match to leave Liam Sammon with a perfect seven-from-seven senior managerial record, a dream start that the local man was happy to laugh away.
Tyrone took the bus back home musing about their bleak league position. But they can live with this defeat because, in the longer term, this might go down as that day when Tyrone became happy in their own skins again.
Poignantly, this match fell on the fourth anniversary of the tragic death of Tyrone great Cormac McAnallen and the Eglish man was foremost in the minds of his team-mates as they prepared for the game.
All that can be said with certainty is that McAnallen would have been content enough with the effort here. They are nothing like the All-Ireland machine of 2005, but it is early March and there was still plenty of evidence here that when Tyrone are in the mood, they are capable of playing the game at a level that very few contemporary teams can hope to emulate. They have class to burn.
It was no coincidence that Galway was the team that coaxed that out of Tyrone. The Ulster men looked lethargic and uncertain for the first quarter hour and, to those of us watching, it seemed as if they were inspired by Galway's enthusiasm. Out of nothing, both sides were suddenly engaged in a terrific game.
The small crowd of 3,000 that showed up in Salthill must have been happy with what they saw. Galway are brimming with confidence, their football is full of ideas and, most importantly, they are all playing like eager demons.
Players were auditioning to impress and among the eye-catching cast were Darren Mullahy, who has a ferocious engine and a smart head, Gary Sice, who marked Seán Cavanagh and still found time to clip two points and city lad Eddie Hoare, who was moved from the wing to midfield with impressive results.
Finian Hanley had an engaging tussle with Owen Mulligan, Niall Coleman had a big day at midfield and there were stages when the Micheál Meehan/Pádraic Joyce axis was a joy to behold.
Meehan's seventh-minute goal was a special moment. It all came about through the work ethic of Matthew Clancy - there seemed to be about 30 Matthew Clancy's on the field here - who tracked back to steal a Tyrone free.
When you have both wing backs sprinting alongside one another to support an attack, you know your team is working hard. Mullahy found Joyce and he sent a gorgeous ball into Meehan.
The Caltra man then shrugged off Conor Gormley - no mean feat to begin with - and then rolled a deadly shot past Jonathan Curran. Galway were always capable of transcendent scores, but it was the work ethic that impressed as much as the skilful execution.
They kept that up all afternoon and it meant that, when they fell behind for the first time, to Tommy McGuigan's glorious 62nd-minute point, they had the will and the means to recover and fire the last three points of the match.
"We fought very well and we had a very strong effort," acknowledged Sammon. "What I have noticed is that in every game we are finishing well. We came back and we held our shape. As long as we could get the ball to our forwards, I knew we could get scores. I was particularly pleased with Niall Coleman today and Eddie Hoare coming into midfield."
The introduction of big Niall Cullinane helped Galway in that critical period. Tyrone had worked hard to stay with the home team and were perhaps out of puff for that closing phase. They hit 2-8 from play here and several of those scores were sublime.
Mulligan led from deep, launching two trademark points from tough angles and hitting Colm McCullough with a genius pass that was worth the admission price alone. Cavanagh thundered through for the 18th-minute goal that roused Tyrone, but it will take the Moy athlete a few games to get back up to pace.
Kevin Hughes was notably active around midfield and although the defensive unit were opened up a few times, the quality of ball and imagination in the Galway attack was exceptional.
"It was a special day for this team," said Mickey Harte. "It was four years ago today since Cormac died and the boys were very conscious of that. And we asked them to give a wholehearted performance, that that would be a good way to remember him. And I have no doubt that they did that."
If these teams are still playing ball next August, then it will make for a richer All-Ireland football championship.
GALWAY: A Faherty; D Finnegan, F Hanley, D Burke; G Sice (0-2), N Coyne, D Mullally; P Geraghty, N Coleman (0-2); E Hoare (0-2), P Joyce, D Meehan; M Clancy, M Meehan (1-5, 0-3 frees), F Breathnach (0-1). Subs: S Armstrong (0-2) for P Geraghty (26 mins); C Bane for F Breathnach (47 mins); B Cullinane for E Hoare (63 mins); F Breathnach for S Armstrong (72 mins).
TYRONE: J Curran; PJ Quinn, C Gormley, M Swift; D Harte, D Carlin, R McMenamin; K Hughes, E McGinley; R Mellon (0-1), R Mulgrew (1-1), S Cavanagh (1-0); T McGuigan (0-2), C McCullagh (0-1), O Mulligan (0-3, 2 frees). Subs: J McMahon for D Carlin, N Gormley (0-1) for C McCullough (both 53 mins); D McCaul for M Swift (70 mins).
Referee: A Mangan (Kerry).
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