Pádraic Joyce: You'd like to play in Dublin game yourself

Galway manager Pádraic Joyce said he'd like to have his experienced heads to call upon in the league but noted that the younger crop were getting vital game-time in the furnace of Division 1.

The westerners secured a vital two points in Clones on Sunday, giving themselves some breathing room in the battle for safety, a glut of goals in the period leading up to half-time teeing them up for victory.

With A-list forwards Damien Comer, Shane Walsh and Matthew Tierney still sidelined, Rory Cunningham impressed on his full debut, scoring 1-03 from play.

Cathal Sweeney and John Maher were the other players to force home goals in a strange second quarter, Galway building up a six-point half-time lead on the curious scoreline of 3-04 to 0-07.

"When we're down at the foot of the table, with three points, two more gets us up to five, which is great," Joyce told RTÉ Sport's Pauric Lodge afterwards.

"I think the performance was probably okay. There was a lot I can pick out of it but lookit, we got three goals. We've a big man in there, Niall Daly, 6ft 4 and we got a bit of ball into him today and got the breaks off it.

"Rory Cunningham got his first proper start and stuck 1-03, played really well, took his chance.

"Goals win games. Last week, Derry got three goals against us. It was 15 scores to 14 today and we won the game by seven points."

Some of Galway's front-rank absentees are returning in dribs and drabs, the inspirational Seán Kelly back in his marauding role, scoring a fine point near the end. However, Tierney and Paul Conroy, neither of whom saw out the win in Omagh, are still unavailable.

"The training has never died down for us," insists Joyce. "We're focusing on further down the track in the championship. We're out in