Damien Comer’s two second-half goals snuffed out Derry’s All-Ireland Football title hopes as the Tribesmen secured a 2-8 to 1-6 semi-final win.
Derry led 0-3 to 0-0 but Galway fought back to trail 0-4 to 0-3 at half time.
During half time, the overturning of a Hawkeye adjudication meant that Galway were on terms when action resumed.
With Derry rattled, Comer’s first goal suddenly put them 1-7 to 0-4 up and his sensational second major sealed their win before Lachlan Murray’s late reply.
Derry were the victim of a number of contentious decisions by referee Brendan Cawley but they can have few complaints about the eventual outcome.
Galway mirrored Derry’s defensive approach in the first half by pulling men behind the ball and it appeared to flummox Rory Gallagher’s Oak Leaf side.
And after having bided their time in the first period, Galway suddenly opened up in the second half as they hit an unanswered 1-3 in an 11-minute period, which added to the point they got at half time when Walsh’s 45 was correctly adjudged as a point.
Comer’s goals ultimately put the game to bed, with his second on 63 a magnificent lobbed finish from 35 yards, with Derry goalkeeper Odhran Lynch completely stranded, after Conor Glass had been dispossessed by John Daly some 45 metres from Galway’s goals.
Brendan Rogers looked set for another big game for Derry as his two early points helped them lead 0-3 to 0-0 after 12 minutes but he soon began to struggle against man of the match Comer in open play.
Indeed, it was a surprise that Rory Gallagher did not opt to shift Chrissy McKaigue on to Comer when it became clear that he was Galway’s principal attacking threat.
Galway: C Gleeson; L Silke, S Kelly, J Glynn; D McHugh, J Daly, K Molloy; P Conroy, C McDaid; Patrick Kelly, M Tierney, J Heaney; R Finnerty, D Comer, S Walsh.
Subs: J Keane, J Foley, B Mannion, J McGrath, N Daley, Paul Kelly, O Gallagher, F O Laoi, E Finnerty, De Conneely, D Canney.
Derry: O Lynch; C McKaigue, B Rogers, C McCluskey; C Doherty, G McKinless, P McGrogan; C Glass, N Toner; Paul Cassidy, S Downey, Et Doherty; B Heron, S McGuigan, N Loughlin.
Subs: C Bradley, P McNeill, Padraig Cassidy, B McCarron, A Tohill, L Murray, E Bradley, D Cassidy, M Doherty, M Downey, O McWilliams.
Referee: B Cawley (Kildare)
