NFL Division 1: Galway 1-18 Tyrone 1-18
Galway manager Pádraic Joyce said that the new rule which allows teams to keep less than three men in the opposition half if they have a player binned or sent off needs to change.
Joyce was the first to admit his team benefited from this previously against Donegal when they only had to have one up front after having one player sent off and another black-carded.
Tyrone lost full-back Peter Teague to a black card in the final quarter and only had to have two men in attack in a tight finish. Ironically, it was when Teague returned that Galway got a free in the dying moments when Malachy O’Rourke’s side failed to restore the minimum three up front. Shane Walsh landing a majestic free into the diagonal wind for a two-pointer to draw the match with three seconds left.
“I think that one has to change definitely, when someone gets a black card they should have to still keep three men up,” said Joyce. “We got the benefit of it last week against Donegal, with the red and the black cards, and we only had to keep one man up.
“If you have to keep three men up top, you have less men defending. I think that rule needs to change. The goalkeeper one is another contentious one that might change, but definitely the black card one. (When a) team gets down to black they should have to keep three men up top. I think there’s more jeopardy then.”
The Tribesmen maintained their unbeaten start to the league thanks to Walsh’s heroics after a great tussle at Tuam Stadium.
Galway conceded their first goal of the campaign when Darragh Canavan scored from close range after 10 minutes, but two minutes later his Errigal Ciaran team-mate Peter Harte had a penalty superbly saved by Galway goalkeeper Conor Flaherty.
The hosts, getting most use of the diagonal wind in front of a crowd of just under 7,000, landed four two-pointers from 10 attempts in the opening half. Rob Finnerty nailed two of them from frees on the right, Walsh got another from a free and Paul Conroy drilled one from play as the teams turned around level at 0-11 to 1-8.
Céin Darcy edged Galway in front after the restart after coming on at the break but Tyrone, now favoured by the breeze, hit back with efforts from Mark Bradley and Canavan before Jack O’Neill levelled the sides for the eighth time after 46 minutes.
Tyrone pushed four clear with points from play from Bradley and Canavan and then a two-point free from Bradley to lead by 1-14 to 0-13 after 51 minutes.
A two-point free off the ground by Walsh reduced the margin before Canavan put a goal between them 13 minutes from the end.
But a foul on Galway captain Sean Kelly led to a penalty which Walsh dispatched low to the bottom-left corner to tie the sides after 58 minutes.
Darren McCurry edged Tyrone in front 10 minutes from the end before Walsh levelled once again.
Matty Donnelly’s two-pointer in the 69th minute seemed set to win it but up stepped Walsh to snatch a draw in the most dramatic fashion at the death.
While disappointed not to get the win, O’Rourke was still happy with his team’s performance.
“I was pleased with the connection we had in the forward line. We were working the ball well, we were working into good positions. Some of the other games we weren’t doing that as well, it was as more individuals.
“But we worked very hard. We worked for every bit of possession we got. We used it fairly well. But there was plenty of mistakes as well and we know that. And we expect that, I suppose, as well, but overall pleased with the performance but disappointed with the result.”
GALWAY: C Flaherty; J McGrath, J Glynn, D O’Flaherty; L Silke, S Mulkerrin, S Kelly; C Hernon, J Maher; C Sweeney, P Conroy (0-1-0), J O’Neill (0-0-2; 1f); R Finnerty (0-2-0; 2tpf), C McDaid (0-0-2), S Walsh (1-3-1; 1-0p, 3tpf).
Subs: D McHugh for Glynn, C Darcy (0-0-1) for Hernon (both h-t); M Thompson for Sweeney (54 mins); B Mannion for O’Neill, F Ó Laoí for Finnerty (both 58); K Molloy for McDaid (69).
TYRONE: N Morgan; A Clarke, P Teague, N Devlin; M McKernan, R Brennan, A Donaghy; B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick (0-0-1); M Donnelly (0-1-1; 1tp), K McGeary (0-0-1), C Daly; D Canavan (1-0-5; 1-0p, 2f), M Bradley (0-1-5; 1tpf, 1f, 1m), P Harte.
Subs: J Oguz for Donaghy (53 mins); D McCurry (0-0-1) for Harte (57).
Referee: B Cawley (Kildare).
