Missed first half chances cost Derry says Mickey Harte after Galway defeat

Shane McGuigan saw his fierce second half shot saved by Galway keeper Conor Gleeson. Photo: George Sweeney

Mickey Harte was left to bemoan a lack of efficiency in front of the posts as Derry slipped to a five point opening day defeat against Galway in All Ireland Group 1.

Gareth McKinless' first half red card proved the defining moment of a match in which there was nothing between the teams prior to the 20th minute dismissal of the Ballinderry player for standing on Damien Comer's ankle. The extra man helped Galway to an 0-8 to 0-6 half-time lead but Harte pointed to five first half wides and five shots short as proof of an opportunities missed for the Division One champions, who were made to pay when Sean Kelly took advantage of Odhran Lynch's misplaced kick-out to score the crucial opening goal.

"Even at half-time, we had at least nine shots that either dropped short or went wide and Galway had one that went wide. That tells a story," explained the Derry boss.

"Really at half-time we should have been ahead and we weren't. We had to live with that inefficiency in our finishing or shot choices that were just that wee bit outside the scoring zone. We had to live with it but to get the two points so quickly (after half-time) was very good. It showed we were still up for the fight.

"The (Galway) goal was just one of those things that happens from time to time in the modern game. There's a pressure on the kick-out and if there is an error of any kind then you are liable to concede a goal. Odhran Lynch has been very good on those kicks. He got away with lots of them today but unfortunately one didn't quite work out for us."

Harte pointed to Shane McGuigan's fierce 62nd minute shot which was saved by Galway keeper Connor Gleeson as a key moment. A goal would have brought Derry level; instead Galway broke with Cein Darcy wrapping up the victory for the Tribesmen.

"For me it was more about Shane's shot; had that gone in - he did brilliantly to fetch, turn and shoot - that would have been a draw game and it would have been a very interesting finish.

"It would have been a very credible performance with 14 men and I think it was still a credible performance. Considering Conor Glass was under the weather too - he'd been sick this past few days and people need to factor that in as well, and consider the people who were missing from our team, people who were starters this last couple of years and seriously good starters. So it was a massive fight from the people we had available to us."