Finnerty shoots 1-9 as Galway ease past Kildare

Tierney and D'Arcy among the goals in All-Ireland SFC Round 1 win

Galway 3-21

Kildare 0-17

By Billy Coss

At Pearse Stadium

GALWAY put their provincial final loss to Roscommon firmly behind them to outclass Kildare by 13 points in a lop-sided All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Round 1 clash in Salthill.

Robert Finnerty turned in a man of the match performance shooting 1-9 from play, while first half goals from Matthew Tierney and Céin D'Arcy were central to a 2-8 to 0-12 interval lead after playing into the wind.

From there, Galway never looked back after the break with Finnerty netting on the three-quarter mark as the Lilywhites faltered with their finishing and the hosts eased further clear.

'Keeper Connor Gleeson replaced the injured Conor Flaherty and Padraic Joyce changed five of the Galway team that started in Roscommon 13 days earlier. Cian Hernon, John Daly, Ciarán Mulhern and Tierney also came in.

Finnerty was unmarkable in the first half, sending over five points from five shots, while Shane Walsh also landed three from frees to go with Tierney and D'Arcy goals on six and 18 minutes.

Kildare won the toss, took the wind and though Alex Beirne (two), Brian McLoughlin and Darragh Kirwan were all target from outside the arc, the writing was on the wall when the visitors trailed by four at the break.

Finnerty stretched Galway's advantage and turned home their third goal in the 54th minute. Cillian McDaid added a couple of points, while Damien Comer, Paul Conroy, John Maher and Shane McGrath all added their names to the scoresheet in a dominant second half.

Galway are just one win away from a quarter-final berth and will return to action in three weeks' time. Kildare, who added just five points after the restart, join neighbours Meath and Kerry in last chance saloon.

GALWAY: C. Gleeson; J. Glynn, C. Hernon, L. Silke; D. McHugh, S. Kelly, J. Daly; P. Conroy (0-1), J. Maher (captain, 0-1); C. D'Arcy (1-0), C. Mulhern, C. McDaid (0-2); R. Finnerty (1-9, two 0-2 scores), M. Tierney (1-0), S. Walsh (0-6, one 0-2 score, one 0-2 free, 0-1 free). Subs: D. Comer (0-1) for Mulhern, 45 mins; S. Ó Maoilchiaráin, for Hernon, 55 mins; S. McGrath (0-1), for Tierney 59 mins; S. McGlinchey, for Conroy, 62 mins; B. Cogger, for McDaid, 64 mins.

KILDARE: E. Sheehan; R. Burke, M. Dempsey, B. Byrne; J. McGrath, E. Lawlor, H. O'Neill; K. Feely (captain, 0-1), B. Gibbons; B. McLoughlin (0-3, one 0-2 score), D. Kirwan (0-3, one 0-2 score), C. Dalton (0-1); B. Loakman (0-1), A. Beirne (0-5, two 0-2 scores, 0-1 free), E. Cully. Subs: J. Harris, for Lawlor, 20 mins; D. Swords (0-1), for Cully 27 mins; J. Robinson (0-2), for Loakman, 51 mins; T. Gill, for McGrath, 55 mins; S. Doran, for O'Neill, 66 mins.

REFEREE: Paul Faloon (Down).

HERALD SPORT MAN OF THE MATCH:

Robert Finnerty (Galway).