Galway 1-20 NUI Galway 0-13
On an evening when experience counted for a lot, Galway fought back in the second half to get the better of NUI Galway in the Walsh Cup at a freezing cold Duggan Park in Ballinasloe.
But it was Oranmore-Maree clubman Seán McInerney who scored 1-3 from play on his debut, that made the biggest impression for Galway.
Dan Nevin was another to catch the eye too; he had a personal tally of 0-9 (six frees) as Galway fought back from 0-11 to 0-5 behind at the interval to win by ten points.
NUI Galway played with the elements at their backs in the first half. Nevin scored early but Aiden Helebert hit back moments in the fourth minute and NUI Galway took control.
Jason Flynn scored 0-7 in the game against DIT but the Galway full-forward was unusually off-target from frees.
NUI Galway didn’t let their chances slip and scored six unanswered points between the 11th and 33rd minutes to hold a commanding 0-10 to 0-3 advantage.
Crucially Sean Loftus found the range for Galway, either side of two further points from Ger Hennelly, and Nevin scored the last point of the half.
Galway may have found themselves trailing by six at the break but they were far too good when they stepped on the gas in the second half and scored 1-12 without reply with McInerney’s 69th minute goal sealing the convincing win.
GALWAY: J Skehill; J Grealish, R Burke, M Donoghue; S Loftus (0-1), B Flaherty, A Harte; M Keating, D Nevin (0-9, 0-6 frees); P Brehony, J Cooney, D Glennon (0-3); S McInerney (1-3), J Flynn (0-1), T Monaghan (0-1).Subs: J Holland for Grealish (31 mins), M Dolphin for Burke (35 mins), E Niland (0-1) for Cooney (56 mins), J Coyne 0-1 for Brehony (59 mins), C Salmon for Glennon (63 mins), C Connor for Donoghue (63 mins).
NUI GALWAY: C Tuohy; C Cosgrave, B Fitzpatrick, G Fennelly; M Connelly, C Cleary (0-3, 0-3 frees), G Forde; I Fox (0-2), O Donnellan; S Barrett, S Hynes, A Helebert (0-1); J Fox, G Loughnane (0-1), G Hennelly (0-5, 0-4 frees). Subs: C Ryan (0-1) for Fox (52 mins), C O Halloran for Hynes (52 mins), J Cummins for Cosgrave (61 mins), S Maloney for Barrett (61 mins), C Smyth for (66 mins).
Referee: Michael Murtagh (Westmeath).