All-Ireland champions, Galway, again found Tyrone too good for them when Peter Canavan inspired the northerners to a well merited and convincing nine-point win at Tuam Stadium yesterday.
Tyrone had dashed Galway's championship hopes at the All-Ireland semi-final stage in 1986 and again in '95, so this was a great opportunity for John O'Mahony's charges to alter the trend. But they failed dismally to regain their form of last year.
A bad day for Galway was compounded by the sendings-off in the second half of captain Raymond Silke and his half-back line colleague, John Divilly, while Tyrone mid-fielder, Ciaran McBride, had earlier been dismissed by Kerry referee, Eamon Mangan. McBride and Silke appeared to be particularly harshly treated
under the new caution and yellow card system, and the Galway skipper was sidelined for nothing more than a simple push, having been yellow-carded earlier for a lunge that missed.
Peter Canavan had to be content with a point from a fourth-minute penalty, but then he made a blistering left-wing run and passed to big full forward, Matt McGleenan, who rattled the net with a spectacular goal from close range. Canavan, who gave the Galway full-back line a torrid time, added two points from play and a pointed free to set up a half-time lead of four points: Tyrone 1-4, Galway 0-3.
The much-vaunted Galway forwards had been well contained by an excellent visitors' defence in the opening period and it wasn't until the change of ends that Jarlath Fallon became influential on the 40 for Galway, driving over a fine point on the run.
But Tyrone now had the confidence to shoot from long range and they kicked some magnificent points in the second half. Adrian Cush was unerringly accurate with frees, Peter Canavan scored 0-6, and half-forwards Cavlan, Gormley and Loughran landing one each from play.
Galway could do no better in the second half than four points despite the enthusiastic backing of the home support in a crowd of 5,000.
TYRONE - F McConnell; P Devlin, C Lawn, P McGurk; C Holmes, S McCallan, C Gourley; Pascal Canavan, C McBride; G Cavlan (0-1, E Gormley 0-1, C Loughran (0-1); A Cush (0-4, 3 frees), M McGleenan (1-0), Peter Canavan (0-6, 1 pen, 1 sideline, 2 frees). Substitute: F Devlin for Gourley.
GALWAY - L Kelly; R Doyle, G Fahey, R Fahey; R Silke, J Divilly, S de Paor; D Mitchell, S O Domhnaill; P Clancy (0-3, 2 frees), J Fallon (0-1), M Donnellan; D Savage (0-1), N Finnegan (0-2, frees), T Joyce. Substitute: M O Callarain for Joyce
Referee - A Mangan (Kerry).
The Leitrim v Offaly game scheduled for Pairc Sean MacDiarmada, Carrick on Shannon, yesterday was called off following a pitch inspection.
