Allianz Football League Division One

GALWAY 1-9 TYRONE 0-8

By John Fallon at Tuam Stadium

Galway never trailed as they crowned their return to the top flight of the Allianz League with a deserved win over Tyrone.

Hopes that Mickey Harte’s 16th league campaign in charge of Tyrone would kick off with a victory never looked like materialising and while they staged a good second-half rally, they could only manage three points from play against a Galway side who were back in the top flight for the first time since 2011.

The Tribesmen laid the foundation for a deserved success when they opened up a 1-3 to 0-3 at the interval despite playing against the breeze in an action-packed opening half.

New Galway captain Damien Comer gave them a dream start when he soloed through to drill a low ball to the net after just 16 seconds.

And he followed it up with an excellent point from play to give the Tribesmen the perfect platform.

Tyrone struggled to get into the game and found themselves 1-2 to 0-0 adrift after seven minutes when Shane Walsh pointed a free.

Tiernan McCann finally got Tyrone off the mark with a point after 15 minutes, but by the interval they shot eight wides to Galway’s two.

Conor McAliskey reduced the margin after 24 minutes, but then Tyrone lost their other corner-forward Darren McCurry after an off the ball incident with Galway defender Eoghan Kerin.

Cathal McShane cut the gap to a goal at the break when he scored an excellent point from the left on the half hour.

McAliskey gave Tyrone a good start to the second-half when he pointed three minutes after the restart.

Galway refused to panic and took control again with Eamon Branigan shooting two points to lead by double scores, 1-5 to 0-4, after 46 minuts.

Patrick Sweeney and Walsh extended Galway’s lead with good points before Matthew Donnelly gave Tyrone hope when he pointed after 55 minutes to cut the gap to 1-7 to 0-5.

A free from Peter Harte left four between them nine minutes from time as Tyrone rallied.

And a tight finish was on the cards when Harte cut the gap to a goal with a pointed free after he himself was fouled going through two minutes later.

A pointed free from Ronan O’Neill had Galway fans worried five minutes from time, but Galway finished strongly with points from Comer and Walsh sealing a deserved win.

**Scorers for Galway: **Damien Comer 1-2, Shane Walsh 0-4 (3fs), Eamon Brannigan 0-2, Patrick Sweeney 0-1

Scorers for Tyrone: Connor McAliskey 0-2 (1f), Peter Harte 0-2 (2fs), Tiarnan McCann 0-1, Cathal McShane 0-1, Matthew Donnelly 0-1, Ronan O’Neill 0-1 (f).

GALWAY: Ruairi Lavelle; Declan Kyne, Sean Andy O Ceallaigh, Eoghan Kerin; Sean Kelly, Gareth Bradshaw, Cathal Sweeney; Paul Conroy, Peter Cooke; Johnny Heaney, Adrian Varley, Eamon Brannigan; Shane Walsh, Damien Comer, Patrick Sweeney.

Subs: Padraic Cunningham for Varley (52), Tom Flynn for P Sweeney (60), Johnny Duane for Kelly (66), Gary O’Donnell for Brannigan (70+3), Sean Armstrong for Walsh (70+6).

TYRONE: Niall Morgan; Michael McKernan, Ronan McNamee, Hugh Pat McGeary; Tiarnan McCann, Padraig Hampsey, Kieran McGeary; Padraig McNulty, Matthew Donnelly; Conal McCann, Niall Sludden, Peter Harte; Connor McAliskey, Cathal McShane, Darren McCurry.

Subs: Mark Bradley for McNamee (20), Ronan O’Neill for McAliskey (46), Declan McClure for McNulty (46), Ronan McNabb for K McGeary (51), Richard Donnelly for C McCann (57), Lee Brennan for Sludden (68).

REFEREE: Ciaran Brannigan (Down).