Derry and Galway round-robin thriller ends in draw

Derry and Galway battled to a 2-20 to 4-14 draw in their All-Ireland round-robin meeting in Celtic Park.

Matthew Tierney scored a last-minute goal to put Galway one ahead heading into the final play of the match before Conor Doherty kicked an equaliser for Derry after the hooter.

The Oakleafers will be disappointed that they let the game slip away after leading by eight points on two occasions.

It was proper championship football over the first 35 minutes with no quarter given or taken and neither side taking a backwards step with so much on the line.

The first quarter burst into life as Rob Finnerty got the final touch to a goalline scramble on fourteen minutes to give Galway a 1-2 to 0-4 lead.

Derry replied from the very next attack with a fine ing move which ended in Conor Glass punching into the empty net for an immediate and emphatic response.

The hosts grew in confidence and started to dictate play around the middle of the field with Paul Cassidy landing a two-pointer from play before Shane McGuigan knocked over a free from two-point range.

The Tribesmen responded with a major as Shane Walsh turned Eoin McEvoy inside and out before finishing a fine individual goal with a strike into the net.

Three more scores from McGuigan and Niall Loughlin had Derry eight ahead at the break.

Paddy Tally's men emerged sharpest for the second half and reeled off four scores in a row with Loughlin, Glass and Ciaran McFaul all on target.

Derry looked like they were about to secure a first win of 2025 when Lachlan Murray buried down the sideline and squared to Loughlin who punched into the net to again put his side up by eight.

Peter Cooke hit a two-pointer in reply for the visitors who seemed to be wayward with their desperate two-point efforts.

Padraic Joyce's men were given a lifeline with eight minutes to play as Matthew Tierney hit his first score of the game with a goal.

Brendan Rogers pointed for Derry either side of efforts from Cein Darcy and Damien Comer to leave two between the teams.

Time was all but up when Kieran Molloy tried an effort from way out which hung in the air for an eternity before it was punched to the net by Tierney who really made his mark in the final moments.

There was less than thirty seconds to play when Derry mounted an attack in a desperate attempt to save a game they had looked sure to win.

Their patience was rewarded right on the hooter as Conor Doherty secured a draw with the final kick off the game.

It is all to play for heading into the final round of games in the group in a fortnight's time when Galway take on All-Ireland champions Armagh and Derry meet Dublin.

Derry: B McKinless; D Baker, E McEvoy, P McGurk; C Doherty (0-1), P McGrogan, N Loughlin (1-2), C Glass (1-3 1 45), B Rogers (0-3 1 2pt); E Doherty, P Cassidy (0-3 1 2pt), C McFaul (0-1); S McGuigan (0-4 1 2ptf), D Higgins, N Toner (0-1 1f).

Subs: Lachlan Murray (0-2) for E Doherty (44), Ruairi Forbes for P McGurk (57), Anton Tohill for N Loughlin (60), Ethan Doherty for N Toner (63)

Galway: C Gleeson; J McGrath, S Mulkerrin, J Glynn; D McHugh, S Kelly (0-1), L Silke; P Conroy (0-1), J Maher (0-1); M Thompson (0-2), C McDaid, S O'Neill (0-1); M Tierney (2-0), R Finnerty (1-3 1f), S Walsh (1-1 1f).

Subs: Cein Darcy (0-1) for S O'Neill (18), Damien Comer (0-1 1m) for P Conroy (49), Peter Cooke (0-2 1 2pt) for C McDaid (49), John Daly for S Walsh (60), Kieran Molloy for D McHugh (65), Johnny Heaney for S Mulkerrin (67)

Referee: N Cullen (Fermanagh)