Damien Comer the difference as Galway revival continues apace

Derry’s momentum wrestled from them by Tribesmen’s go-to man

Paul Conroy (left) and Damien Comer of Galway celebrate victory over Derry in the All-Ireland SFC semi-final at Croke Park. Photo: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Dermot Crowe

July 10 2022 02:30 AM

Galway 2-8 Derry 1-6

What a strange game football can be. Twelve minutes in, Derry were buzzing, three points up and pinning Galway into their own half. Two of those points came from Brendan Rogers, the man detailed to mark Damien Comer. Who was making who, you might have asked? But by the end, Comer had turned the tables and left the field a hero.

Having been the centre of attention when the victim of a gouging incident in the quarter-final win over Armagh, this was a more conventional role for combative full-forward with a 2-2 scoring haul. When Galway needed a leader in the first half he was one of the few to step forward, scoring their first point after 22 minutes. When they needed a score just before half time, he provided that.

But mostly he will be remembered for his two explosive second-half goals, the first in the 46th minute when he spun around Rogers and drove a low shot past Odhran Lynch. The Derry goalkeeper was missing when Comer had his second goal in the 64th minute, Lynch having wandered up the field as is his wont. When Conor Glass was turned over, Liam Silke zipped a foot pass to Comer’s lap and he showed marvellous opportunism in finding the net from around 40m, with a Derry player close at hand.

Derry’s goal, from sub Lachlan Murray, was of little consolation coming deep into second-half injury time. Having led 0-3 to 0-0 after 12 minutes they managed only three more points during the remainder. At the end of a season which has seen them win a first Ulster title in 24 years the fade-out was deeply disappointing.

It also saw Galway preserve their unbeaten championship record that included the 2015 qualifier meeting and the All-Ireland semi-finals of 1998 and 2001. Perhaps that is a good omen, with Galway having gone on to win the All-Ireland on both of the occasions they previously defeated Derry at the penultimate stage.

They await the winners of today’s second semi-final between Kerry and Dublin. There they will seek to win a first All-Ireland in 21 years.

Watched by a crowd of 68,830, Galway avoided the heart-stopping moments which accompanied their quarter-final win over Armagh on penalties, in which they blew a six-point lead in normal time. Comer’s first goal gave them a six-point cushion, following three early second-half frees from Shane Walsh, who failed to register from play. Conor McCluskey did an excellent marking job on the talented Galway inside forward. But even though Comer had a second goal, Derry looked doomed after the first strike.

Walsh was involved in one of the game’s major talking points when a 45 shortly before half time was first waved a score, only to be then ruled out after a request from Hawk-Eye. With Comer closing the first-half scoring, the sides went off with Derry apparently ahead 0-4 to 0-3. But, having reviewed the incident, there followed an announcement that the Walsh 45 was in fact a score and the scoreboard was adjusted to leave the sides level going into the second half.

Already Derry looked in bother. Their play had started to lose its composure and precision and after Rogers scored in the 12th minute, putting them three points up, they failed to score again for 20 minutes, striking five wides and getting turned over more frequently. Shane McGuigan, their top scorer, and the star of the quarter-final win over Clare, had little impact, well marked by Silke. Glass, a huge influence in earlier games, was also subdued.

Kieran Molloy made a crucial early block on a goal attempt from Paul Cassidy and over the course of the game Galway had big performances from Paul Conroy, John Daly, Matthew Tierney and Cillian McDaid around the middle of the field.

Walsh’s three frees established a Galway lead for the first time on the far side of half time and when Comer goaled to extent the lead to six, Derry looked a lost cause, unable to make any headway when faced with the Galway backline, despite the tireless efforts of Gareth McKinless.

McKinless broke forward to win a free from McGuigan to convert soon after Comer’s first goal, but being in arrears to that extent was new territory for Derry in this year’s championship. The McGuigan free in the 49th minute was their first score since the 34th minute. And only their second since the 12th. They went from the 12th to the 65th minute without a point from play. That tells its own story, even in a low-scoring match.

It could have been worse. Johnny Heaney fisted over the bar from a good goal chance in the 56th minute, when Lynch didn’t look convincing in parrying a point attempt from Conroy that dropped short.

Derry still leave the year with enormous credit and promise for next year, when they will start with a bid to secure the promotion denied them to a large extent by defeat in Owenbeg to - yes - Galway.

Padraic Joyce’s side, meanwhile, have their sights firmly set on bringing the Sam Maguire back across the Shannon.

Scorers - Galway: D Comer 2-2; S Walsh 0-4 (0-3 fs, 0-1 45); J Daly, J Heaney 0-1. Derry: S McGuigan 0-3 (0-2 fs); L Murray 1-0; B Rogers 0-2; N Loughlin 0-1.

Galway: C Gleeson; L Silke, S Kelly, J Glynn; D McHugh, J Daly, K Molloy; P Conroy, M Tierney; P Kelly, M Tierney, J Heaney; R Finnerty, D Comer, S Walsh.

Subs: F O Laoi for Heaney (61); B Mannion for Comer (68); D Connelly for Finnerty (68); Paul Kelly for Patrick Kelly (72).

Derry: O Lynch; C McCluskey, B Rogers, C McKaigue; C Doherty, S Downey, P McGrogan; G McKinless, C Glass; P Cassidy, S McGuigan, E Doherty; B Heron, N Loughlin, N Toner.

Subs: E Bradley for Downey (44); L Murray for Toner (56); B McCarron for Heron (61).

Referee: B Cawley (Kildare).