Tally hails Derry's 'serious heart' in draw with Galway

Derry sub Lachlann Murray had a huge impact scoring 0-3 in the Oak Leafers' second-half comeback

When asked what pleased him most about Derry's opening Football League point of the campaign, Paddy Tally replied: "the fightback".

And small wonder, after the Derry manager watched his side fall nine points behind before staging a remarkable comeback to salvage a 0-16 to 1-13 draw against leaders Galway at Celtic Park.

Galway deservedly held a 1-10 to 0-4 lead at half-time thanks to Dylan McHugh's early goal, some super scores from Shane Walsh and dogged defending by John Maher.

Defending league champions Derry were staring at a third defeat in a row but played with renewed purpose and bite in the second half to earn a valuable draw.

"It's funny because we were so far back, yet at the end of the game you're thinking you've left it behind," admitted Derry manager Paddy Tally.

"We were lazy in possession in the first half.

"We weren't testing them or going at them with pace or with any cut in us, we turned the ball over so much. They scored 1-5 off our turnovers."

With only three home games this year, and with difficult back-to-back away games to come against Dublin and Donegal in the next couple of weeks, Derry's need was greatest on Saturday night - and they found a way.

"In the second half there was a lot more bite about us and the most pleasing thing was the fightback," said Tally.

"That's serious heart, right there.

"You're nine points down and staring at your third defeat but they wouldn't lie down. So what they proved tonight is this team doesn't want to get beaten."

Derry manager Paddy Tally (right) alongside backroom team member Paul McFlynn

Galway 'blessed' to leave with a point - Joyce

Sharp shooters Shane McGuigan and Shane Walsh each finished with 0-8, the latter with three two-pointers following on from his four long-range efforts in Galway's win over Mayo last week.

Yet the timing and momentum that Lachlann Murray's 0-3 gave Derry was massive and Galway were relieved to hang on.

"It was a funny game," said Joyce. "It was a brilliant first half performance by ourselves but our second half, we have to look at it, we were well beaten all over the pitch.

"We only punched a point and kicked a two-pointer but Derry were all over us, they had 21 shots at goal and kicked 11.

"In the end we were blessed to come away with a point."

Having beaten All-Ireland champions Armagh and Mayo, Galway looked nailed on to claim a third win.

But having survived such a strong Derry charge - with Ethan Doherty's attempt at a match-winner in the last minute crucially blocked down - Joyce took the positives out of the situation.

"Points away from home are hard to come by in the league and we have five out of six, which is not too bad.

"The players are disappointed because we were in a winning position and we didn't see it out.

"But Derry is a proud footballing county and they had no points and we knew they weren't going down without a fight, so we expected a huge battle and that's what it was."

Galway boss Padraig Joyce led the team to the All-Ireland Final last year where they lost to Armagh