Kelly and Darcy net decisive goals as Galway slump 14-man Derry to second straight defeat

May 18, 2024

Galway's Johnny Heaney and Donncha Gilmore of Derry ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Galway continued their winning ways by handing 14-man Derry a 2-14 to 0-15 defeat in the opening round of the All-Ireland senior football championship group stages this evening.

Sean Kelly and Cein Darcy supplied the goals that proved the difference for the Tribesmen in Salthill, where the visitors lost Gareth McKinless to a straight red card after 20 minutes for an apparent stamp on the ankle of Damien Comer.

By that stage the scoreboard had read 0-4 apiece and, with the numerical advantage, Padraic Joyce’s side moved towards a 0-8 to 0-6 lead come half-time.

Derry squared the game with points from Conor Glass and Lachlan Murray early on in the resumption ahead of Rob Finnerty pointing the home side back in front and the game’s first goal arriving via Kelly from close range.

The strike was a timely one for Galway, rocking the Division 1 champions before Darcy cemented the win for the Connacht champions by raising another green flag with six minutes remaining.


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