Football

Walsh's promising Tribesmen can halt McIver's Derry

Galway manager Kevin Walsh has established a solid outfit since taking the county reigns last season and they might have too much for Derry in Salthill
Galway manager Kevin Walsh has established a solid outfit since taking the county reigns last season and they might have too much for Derry in Salthill Galway manager Kevin Walsh has established a solid outfit since taking the county reigns last season and they might have too much for Derry in Salthill

All-Ireland SFC qualifiers round 3B: Galway v Derry (today, Salthill, 5pm, live on Sky Sports)

DERRY will be hoping that when they look back on Saturday in Salthill, it will hold considerably better memories than their two previous Championship meetings with Galway.

Galway were always comfortable in their ’98 clash, en route to their first Sam Maguire in 32 years. That game doesn’t stick in the Derry throats the way 2001 does though.

Enda Muldoon’s goal helped the Oak Leafers into a five-point lead midway through the second half but they collapsed and Matthew Clancy stuck a dagger in their hearts from along the endline four minutes from time.

Things have changed immeasurably for both counties in the 14 years since. Derry have graced the last eight just twice, and have no provincial titles in that period. While Galway did win four further Connacht titles up until 2007, it’s been a particularly barren spell for them since.

It could be argued that both are on upward curves. Derry have spent the last two seasons in Division One and, while they will drop down again next year, their performance in a narrow Ulster semi-final defeat by Donegal was evidence of what is within them.

The problem for Brian McIver has been getting that level of performance out of this team consistently.

They have eased into the qualifiers this time with a 1-16 to 0-10 win over Wexford. It wasn’t pretty. But that’s what winning football is going to look like for Derry if they are to progress to the last eight for the first time since 2007.

It was a controlled performance. Once they got the goal, which ricocheted in off Wexford midfielder Brian Malone, Derry ran the entire second half of proceedings.

They kept the ball off Wexford and forced them to push out. At times they were going back and square across their own 65’, waiting on the purple and yellow shirts to come out. And it worked. Galway’s performance against Armagh had similar defensive qualities.

But if they are to trouble the better sides that remain in this Championship, Derry will have to expand their attacking game.

When Wexford went man-for-man at half-time last weekend, it left an acre of space in front of what was a one-man full-forward line for Derry. Whether it was Eoin Bradley or Cailean O’Boyle inside, their team-mates had 45 yards of space to kick the ball into in front of goal.

It was never utilised. The running game has become so ingrained that those attacking from deep didn’t lift their heads to consider if the kick was on. If Derry are to reach the last 12, they are going to have to improve on that.

Galway, for the first time in a while, look like a serious side. They won’t win an All-Ireland this autumn but their Championship performances of the last 15 months have been vastly improved on the handful of years before.

They were as close to a Connacht title as they’ve been in a while. For 35 minutes, they went at Mayo hammer and tongs. A stunning Gary Sice goal put them in command before half-time but a horrendous error from Manus Breathnach on the restart knocked the stuffing out of them.

The spoils went to Mayo but the Galway response in the Athletic Grounds was impressive. They were, by all accounts, thoroughly deserving of their three-point win over Armagh.

It was their first away win in the qualifiers since 2001, and given that it’s been a well-trodden path for them, that was a fairly horrible record.

Derry will look to exploit the same weaknesses that Mayo managed to back in June. There aren’t many Aidan O’Sheas about the country but if Derry can get Eoin Bradley to take Finian Hanley on in a similar manner, then there could be a similar end result.

On that occasion, the Galway full-back struggled with the physicality and ended up dismissed after numerous fouls.

It’s a hardworking side that Kevin Walsh is building. While Damien Comer scored just a point in the Connacht semi-final, his work-rate was phenomenal. Danny Cummins hit 1-1 but is lacking in the physical strength to take on Dermot McBride.

The Corofin contingent – Liam Silke, Gary Sice and Micheal Lundy – will renew acquaintances with Brendan Rogers and Chrissy McKaigue from the Slaughtneil side that they beat in March’s All-Ireland club final.

Galway may look to bring Lundy out to centre-forward on Rogers, but Derry may move Liam McGoldrick across and keep Rogers on Tribe skipper Paul Conroy.

At the other end, the in-form Johnny Duane is likely to face up against Cailean O’Boyle, who was the standout performer in Owenbeg last weekend. Cathal Sweeney picked up Jamie Clarke against Armagh and is likely to push out on either Benny Heron or Enda Lynn.

The worry for Brian McIver will be midfield. Fergal Doherty, despite a valuable attacking contribution against Wexford, has been visibly struggling with injury.

If Galway go long to their two towering midfielders from kickouts, Derry may struggle to compete for the full 70 minutes, unless Patsy Bradley is fit enough to come in at some stage.

The winner will be hopeful of meeting the Connacht final losers rather than their Ulster counterparts in round 4. It’s tough to call but Galway are slightly fancied.

Galway: B O’Donoghue; J Duane, F Hanley, C Sweeney; LSilke, G O’Donnell, G Bradshaw; T Flynn, F Ó Curraoin; G Sice, P Conroy, M Lundy; P Óg Ó Gríofa, D Comer, D Cummins

Derry: T Mallon; O Duffy, C McKaigue, D McBride; L McGoldrick, B Rogers, SL McGoldrick; N Holly, F Doherty; B Heron, M Lynch, E Lynn; D Heavron, E Bradley, C O’Boyle