Galway 1-10 Derry 1-9:There is a unique rhythm to this Galway team. It's almost as if they allow opponents to pull clear at the outset, sussing them out, taking the heavy blows, before unleashing their own knockout combinations.
It can be a precarious way to go about one's business but Kerry felt the full wrath of their counterpunching in the semi-final and it was no different yesterday as a decent Derry side wilted when the Tribesmen upped the intensity in the final stages of this occasionally engaging contest.
It was desperately one-sided after 15 minutes, Derry 1-4 to 0-1 ahead and coasting. The Galway full-back line were under severe pressure whenever the high ball rained down upon them.
It yielded the Derry goal after just four minutes when Gavin McGeehan gathered, then held off Keith Kelly to register the game's opening score.
Lee Moore was proving unmarkable, clipping three points in this period of dominance, while Stephen Cleary added another.
Galway eventually figured a way to contain the Derry skyscrapers and win breaking ball - and captain Paul Conroy began to influence affairs at midfield.
The result was a stream of four points started by John O'Brien and finished by a Michael Martyn free.
Damien Reddington also began to shine.
This phase also included a goal chance that just ran away from Joe Joe Greaney.
Derry did regain composure, a James Kielt strike making it a four-point game, 1-6 to 0-5, at the interval, but three second-half points are rarely enough to win an All-Ireland.
Galway emerged from the dressingroom re-energised and equipped with the necessary game plan. Three successive points reduced arrears to the minimum; the third came from the boot of corner back Eanna Glynn after Derry "sledging" prompted referee Derek Fahy to turn an attacking free into a throw-in (the guilty party received severe criticism from a fellow Derryman, the RTÉ pundit Joe Brolly, in the aftermath).
Later the Galway wing back Conor Doherty made a trademark run forward before curling over a decent point. But, as he turned for home, raised fist and all, a Derry player informed him of the umpires' decision to wave a wide. Fahy concurred but the big screen immediately revealed the error.
Derry mustered a riposte, Kielt and Cleary putting a goal between the sides once more, but when the excellent McGeehan saw his shot ricochet off the butt of the post Galway sensed their opportunity.
Martyn had to settle for a point down the other end after blazing through the middle but within a minute they were ahead. The crucial goal came from Reddington's good sense to step inside Mickey McKinney before burying the ball past Andrew Warnock's inside post.
Another Martyn free, bringing his tally to 0-5, gave them space to absorb a Ciarán McFeely injury time point. The ultimate reward being a sixth minor crown.
GALWAY: O Higgins; E Glynn (0-1), C Forde, K Kelly; C Doherty, D O'Reilly, T Fahy; P Conroy (0-1, free), capt, A Griffin; JJ Greaney, T Walsh, J O'Brien (0-1); J Ryan, M Martyn (0-5, three frees), D Reddington (1-2). Subs: J Burke for J Ryan (50 mins), O O'Brien for JJ Greaney (58 mins).
DERRY: A Warnock; M McKinney, C McWilliams, D Bell; C McKaigue, JF Bradley, B Henry; J Kielt (0-2), capt, C O'Boyle; S Cleary (0-2), A Heron, D Mullan; N Forrester, G McGeehan (1-1), L Moore (0-3). Subs: D Heavron for N Forrester (51 mins), C McFeely (0-1) for S Cleary (53 mins), D Donnelly for A Heron (58 mins).
Referee: D Fahy (Longford).
