Galway 3-28

New York 0-20

By Mike Thornton at Gaelic Park

A celebration of Galway-ness in New York on Sunday but for the county’s senior footballers, a tricky job well done.

Pádraic Joyce, for one, seemed totally satisfied with the outcome of Galway’s first competitive trip to the Big Apple in a decade.

“It’s been brilliant,” Joyce said after a slow-burning win in which Galway led by just three points at half time but went into overdrive thereafter, the home side wilting against the visitor’s superior fitness and organisation.

“There’s enough bad stuff going on in the world. Sport brings people together all the time. It helps communities, helps families – all that kind of stuff.

“Even the lads from all over Ireland playing for New York. It was great to see them out there today. The effort they put it in was brilliant.”

Galway only led at half-time by three points (1-12 to 0-12), Matthew Tierney’s fifth-minute goal providing the separation. New York kept their head above water thanks mainly to the superb placed-ball kicking of Cavan native, Frank O’Reilly.

In the second half, corner forward Jack Robinson gave a display of incisive movement and finishing for the hosts who were playing their first competitive match under the new rules.

“You’d always fear because it’s a bit like going on a blind date,” Joyce joked. “You don’t know who you’re going to be playing or what you’re doing. We didn’t see them playing a game before. But we knew they weren’t too bad. All we could do was a bit of homework. But we had no footage to look at, no game.

“But these type of games, the more we look at ourselves and focus on ourselves, the result should look after itself.”

Joyce handed debuts to goalkeeper Conor Flaherty and forwards Matthew Thompson and Brian Mannion. Thompson kicked three points and made himself a live contender to start again when Galway meet Roscommon in the Connacht semi-final on Sunday week, his balance and penetrative running catching the eye.

In the absence of Shane Walsh and Damien Comer, top scorer Tierney was exceptional as an outlet inside. A goal from Cian Hernon on 53 minutes more or less sealed the game’s outcome.

Pictured: Galway’s Matthew Thompson is chased by New York’s Donal Hunt during Sunday’s Connacht senior football championship quarter-final at Gaelic Park.