Youth and experience don't often go hand-in-hand, but 21-year old Tierney is a man who has walked the walk 

READY FOR BATTLE: Matthew Tierney stands for a portrait during a Galway senior football media conference at Pearse Stadium. 

Matthew Tierney’s standout contribution in Galway’s run to a first All-Ireland final appearance in 21 years?

That’s an easy one, a very easy one.

Rewind to Sunday, June 26 and Conor Turbitt has just crashed Armagh’s third penalty against the right-hand post of the Davin End goal.

In that moment, Matthew Tierney knows that the winning of the game and Galway’s progression to the last four of the championship is in his young hands.

After placing the ball on the small white circle, he counts his steps back. But as Armagh goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty takes his sweet time chugging from a water bottle and then proceeds to get the crowd involved like a long jumper on their sixth and final attempt, Tierney walks back up to the ball for a second inspection.

Five steps back, two to the side, a brief pause, and then the run in. Left foot employed, left corner of the net shook. Tierney wheels away in celebration, the air punched with delight before Rob Finnerty jumps into his embrace.

Had Rafferty any contacts in Mícheál Breathnachs or Oughterard, he’d not have dived the wrong way for Tierney’s spotkick.

In the 2019 Galway intermediate final replay, penalties were required to separate the two above mentioned clubs. A then 19-year-old Tierney, who brought the game to penalties when converting a difficult free at the end of extra-time, was Oughterard’s first man up.

He duly hit the net, as he did for a second time when securing his team the win in sudden death.

“An absolutely incredible feeling,” says the half-forward of the Armagh penalty shootout.

“Everyone from Oughterard knew where I was going anyway. If you watched the county final, I put it bottom left as well. So, they were calling it.

“It was an incredible moment, and the stand went crazy. It was class to have the stand there. With Covid last year, it wasn’t half as enjoyable. But a packed-out Croker, it was class.” 

Although the 21-year-old wears the title of vice-captain, it was through no sense of duty to this role that saw Tierney immediately volunteer himself as a penalty taker when David Coldrick brought an end to the second period of extra-time.

“I remember playing soccer a long time ago for Galway, it was the U14 Kennedy Cup semi-final. It was a penalty shootout and I refused to take one. We lost. I was one of the better kickers on the team. Never again – you have to step up.” He’s been stepping up ever since. And given his swift ascension from underage talent to first-team regular on Pádraic Joyce’s teamsheet, victory this Sunday would crown a most impressive couple of seasons for the towering half-forward.

2020 began with All-Ireland intermediate club glory at Croke Park and finished with All-Ireland U20 success on the same field.

He helped himself to 1-3 and the man of the match award on the afternoon of his senior championship debut against Roscommon last July and was the sole Galway player to raise a white flag during the second half of their subsequent Connacht final collapse.

Already this year he has captained NUI Galway to a first Sigerson Cup title in 19 years, his semi-final display against MTU Kerry when he kicked eight points (five frees) an absolutely tour-de-force effort.

For a man so young and still so new on the senior scene, there’s plenty of big-day experience there to lean on ahead of the biggest day of all.

“It is really enjoyable at the moment and hopefully we will keep the success going. I’ve watched the ‘98 and ‘01 finals 100 times, I’d say. Hopefully, it’s not a repeat of 2000.”