By Cian O'Connell

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Galway manager Mícheál Donoghue was satisfied with how his team dealt with Offaly's Leinster Senior Championship challenge at Bord Na Mona O'Connor Park on Saturday evening.

Galway eventually shrugged off Offaly's spirited resistance to emerge 5-18 to 2-15 victors in Tullamore. "We knew coming down it was going to be a tough game," Donoghue stated.

"Offaly at home, it was always going to be a big challenge. They finished the League strong.  We were under no illusions.

"We knew it wasn’t going to be an easy game in that regard. We had to work hard for it. Some of our forward play was very good in the second half."

Donoghue was encouraged by how debutant Brian Concannon, who struck 2-1 on his debut, fared during the contest. "He took his opportunity," Donoghue remarked.

"He had been going well in training and deservedly started. Took his scores well. Worked hard."

During the 2017 Championship Galway didn't score goals in their last four encounters so Donoghue was content to net five against Offaly. "It was obviously something we were conscious of last year," Donoghue added.

"It wasn’t that we weren’t creating the goal chances. It is a work-on. With the forwards we have they are well capable of creating goal chances. We were just lucky that the boys took them."