In front of 10,243 spectators, and throughout the second half of a poor provincial spectacle, Dessie Dolan's Leitrim side rallied back from an early six-point deficit.

1998 All-Ireland hero Michael Donnellan bossed the first half for the Tribesmen, kicking a succession of long-range frees - three in all - with Caltra youngster Michael Meehan (0-2) also in form from play.

Leitrim's effort was not helped when Declan Maxwell screwed a 29th-minute goal chance badly wide and Michael Foley was off-cue with a number of free-taking attempts.

A 46th-minute goal from substitute Donie Brennan, set up by a neat interchange with Maxwell, looked to have shot the underdogs right back into it but Galway struck back almost immediately.

Three minutes later, midfielder Niall Coleman's long delivery was fielded by the elusive Meehan and he handpassed to Moycullen marksman Paul Clancy for a close-range goal finish.

Foley and Maxwell grabbed late scores for Leitrim but there was no coming back for the 1994 Connacht champions, and Galway now await the winners of next Sunday's Hyde Park clash between holders Mayo and Roscommon.

Ford conceded afterwards: "It was good to get a hard game there. We treated Leitrim with the respect they deserved and thankfully it went our way in the end.

"During the week I said that we'd need some of the lads to increase their effort to compensate for not being able to start Joe Bergin and Padraic Joyce.

"They managed to do this so it was pleasing. We have a lot of young fellows in the panel and they will benefit from a tough game like that."

Scorers:

Galway: M Donnellan 0-04 (0-03f), P Clancy 1-01, M Meehan 0-02 (0-02f), B Cullinane, D Savage, S Armstrong, M Clancy 0-01 each.

Leitrim: M Foley 0-03 (0-02f), D Maxwell 0-03, D Brennan 1-00, J Glancy, B Prior 0-01 each.