That goal was the difference between at the interval, although Deighan had to deflect a Clancy effort over the bar and then moments later deny Sice as the Derry defence was exposed once more. The final ten minutes of the opening half was scoreless and over six minutes of the second-half was played before Eoin Bradley found the range to reduce the margin to 1-5 to 0-6.

Neither side held back in the exchanges but the game was not dirty as both teams upped the tempo. Meehan increased Galway's lead with a pointed free but just as Derry were starting to get a foothold, Joyce killed the game with a magnificent strike to the net after 47 minutes.

Sub Sean Armstrong set Joyce up before he side-stepped two defenders and then unleashed an unstoppable shot to the top right corner for a double scores lead of 2-6 to 0-6.

In fairness, the Derry response was good with a couple of points from James Conway and Conleth Gilligan — the latter's was Derry first score from a free as the disciplined Galway defence gave them few opportunities.

Galway continued to spray the ball around and after a fine point which gave the crowd of about 2,500 plenty to cheer about, Nicky Joyce set up Clancy for Galway's third goal after 63 minutes for a 3-7 to 0-10 lead.

By then Deighan had produced more wonder stuff while subs Joe Diver and Ger O'Kane tacked on points for a Derry side which never gave up.

But, unlike Galway, they never looked like getting goals as Galway ran out deserving winners and remain on track for a first league title since 1981.

GALWAY: A Faherty; D Burke, F Hanley, K Fitzgerald; G Sice, N Coyne, D Mullahy; N Coleman (0-1), B Cullinane; D Meehan, P Joyce (1-1), J Bergin (0-1); M Clancy (1-2), M Meehan (1-3, 1-0 pen, 0-3 frees), F Breathnach (0-1).
Subs: S Armstrong for Breathnach, 34 mins; D Dunleavy for Coleman, 46 mins; N Joyce for Coyne, inj. 52 mins; C Bane for Clancy, 63 mins; Clancy for Armstrong, 67 mins.

DERRY: J Deighan; K McGuckin, K McCloy, F McEldowney; L Hinphey, M McBride, M McIvor; E Muldoon (0-2), J Conway (0-2); M Lynch (0-2), P Murphy, B McGoldrick; C Gilligan (0-3, two frees), P Bradley, E Bradley (0-2).
Subs: M Friel for Murphy, half-time; C Devlin for E Bradley, 55 mins; G O'Kane (0-1) for McBride, 55 mins; J Diver (0-1) for Friel, 63 mins; J Keenan for McIvor, 68 mins.

REFEREE: R Hickey (Clare).

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