All-Ireland SFC Group 1, Round 3: Galway 0-15 Armagh 1-12
What could go wrong? In the 54th minute of this final Group One match in Markievicz Park, Liam Silke squeezed over a point to push Galway five points clear, 0-13 to 0-8. They had controlled the match tactically and were set fair for an All-Ireland quarter-final place.
Minutes dragged by and then, disaster for the Connacht champions. In the space of four minutes, they coughed up 1-3 to Armagh. Of that 1-1 came directly from burgled kick-outs and suddenly the complete picture had changed. Instead of cruising, Galway were now trailing and had surrendered all momentum.
To their credit, they steadied and fought out the remaining minutes tit-for-tat. A free in the last minute for Shane Walsh, just inside the 45-metre line, would have reawakened memories of a similar kick he missed in this fixture last year, which would have drawn the match and sent Galway directly to the quarter-finals.
Undaunted, he kicked it over to restore his team’s lead and replacement Tomo Culhane had a chance to extend it but was wide. Time was nearly up when Stefan Campbell got on the end of Armagh’s one last attack and fisted the equaliser.
It may have ended in a draw in front of 8,870 spectators but the spoils were Armagh’s and outside a subdued Galway dressingroom, the outcome felt like a defeat.
They had started very well, playing into a stiff breeze. Holding possession for long spells and showing good economy, they converted eight of their 12 chances. Rob Finnerty’s free-taking and a couple of wonderful points by Walsh when he slipped free of the suffocating defence gave them a good lead going in at the break.
What should have been damage limitation for Galway progressed to a 0-9 to 0-6 lead, which a fine Rian O’Neill point narrowed, sending Armagh in trailing by two.
With the wind, the Connacht champions were more expansive, keeping Walsh and Finnerty up front and they were well on top in the third quarter. John Maher’s muscular presence at centrefield and Dylan McHugh’s extraordinary ability to find gaps in the crowd and speed through them were the most obvious aspects of their superiority.
The potentially concerning drop-off in their score conversion – Finnerty fisted a ball that bounced off the top of the crossbar and came out and shots were dropped short – didn’t seem to matter.
Conor Turbitt, who had soldiered admirably up front for Armagh, got the team’s first point in 14 minutes when kicking a free in the 58th minute. Connor Gleeson’s kick-out went straight to Turbitt who raced in on goal, passed to Tiernan Kelly and the deficit was down to one.
O’Neill added the equaliser and then Gleeson’s restart was again turned over, this time by Kelly who returned the favour to Turbitt, for a one-point lead.
When it had all finished, Armagh topped the table and will go straight to Croke Park whereas Galway anxiously await news of their preliminary quarter-final opponents, who they will play in a week’s time.
GALWAY: C Gleeson; J McGrath, S Fitzgerald, J Glynn; D McHugh (0-1), L Silke (0-1), S Mulkerrin; P Conroy (0-2), J Maher (0-1); C D’Arcy, S Kelly (capt), C McDaid (0-1); R Finnerty (0-3, 2f), M Tierney (0-1), S Walsh (0-5, 3f).
Subs: J Daly for Mulkerrin (48 mins); C Sweeney for McDaid (54); J Heaney for Kelly (61); D O’Flaherty for D’Arcy (62); T Culhane for Finnerty (70).
ARMAGH: B Hughes; B McCambridge, A McKay, C Higgins; A Forker, N Grimley, J McElroy; B Crealey (0-1), R O’Neill (0-3); P McGrane, T Kelly (1-1), O Conaty; R Grugan, A Murnin (0-2), C Turbitt (0-4, 1f).
Subs: S Campbell (0-1) for Higgins (h-t); R McQuillan for Conaty (48 mins); A Nugent for Forker (54); O O’Neill (0-1) for McGrane (65).
Referee: Seán Hurson (Tyrone).
