Armagh lift off as championship sparks into life

WINNING KICK: Rory Grugan of Armagh celebrates kicking the match winning point.  Pic: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

All Ireland SFC

Armagh 0-16 Galway 1-12

A powder keg. Starting out on Sunday the football faithful were wondering what would it take to ignite this championship? A one-point victory for Armagh helped provide the required spark.

6,803 in Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada found an explosive combination. It started as results elsewhere filtered in. Mayo thrown into a heap after falling from first to third. The Rossies rocked by Kevin Feely. That news turned the traveller's giddy. It only escalated during Galway’s warm-up. No sign of Damien Comer or Dylan McHugh and no men to call upon, a failure to lodge the medical notes in time forcing them to tog a squad of 24. Billy Mannion and Cathal Sweeney started instead.

By the time Ethan Rafferty came thundering off his line and met Mannion with an overzealous shoulder, the stand was rocking. There was a heated back-and-forth between fans in front of the press box about the precise measurement of physicality this potion required but the end result was the same, lift-off.

The only groan came from the god-forsaken offensive mark and even that quickly subsided. Shane Walsh claimed a simple pass into his chest and lifted his hand. However, he worked it short and Cillian McDaid left three defenders on the deck as he sliced through and slotted over.

Galway led 1-5 to 0-6 at the turnaround and it could have been more. Three time they sent long balls in on top of Rafferty, twice he looked uncertain under them. The outfielder turned number one also saved a Walsh penalty that came from a classic Seán Kelly penetrating run. Armagh utilised the opportunity to counter-attack and Stefan Campbell drew a free for Conor Turbitt to convert. From potentially three down to one up in a single play.

The rampaging Galway full-back elected to do it himself moments later, spotting a mismatch with Campbell and cruising past him just before the half hour mark.

Kieran McGeeney’s side had a goal chance of their own before the break. Campbell tried to square a handpass to Conor O’Neil on the back post, but Kelly punched it clear. The passage ended with a Greg McCabe yellow card. At times Armagh’s attacking play was powerful. Aidan Forker kicked a cracker, Andrew Murnin claimed a direct ball and turned it score while Campbell strived to make up for his penalty lapse with an immediate point.

And the wick was burning now. Armagh rattled off the first three points of the second half with a Murnin mark, a Turbitt free and a Campbell curler. The last came after Matthew Tierney was bulldozed over the sideline to a volatile roar. Walsh stemmed the orange sea with a free and Johnny McGrath executed a crucial tackle on Campbell to force a turnover. Paul Conroy sent a superb kick into Tierney and after 46 minutes they were level again.

Goal chances kept coming. Galway were handed a gift when a pass hit Jason Duffy in the face, but Ian Burke’s handpass to Walsh was intercepted. A mishit Rafferty kickout fell to Walsh who momentarily contemplated lobbing him before settling for the point. Armagh had claims for a penalty of their own after a Hernon block on Ben Crealey’s foot. To make it worse Rafferty pulled another 45 wide immediately after.

Tierney and Forker traded points to leave it level with the 70 minutes elapsed. A prolonged Galway attack broke down when Cooke’s pass to John Daly bounced to high and Murnin broke away. He was fouled and Grugan kicked his fourth of the day and Armagh into the lead. It felt fitting. In all they scored 0-9 from 18 turnovers. Galway mustered four points from 10.

The rain came down and there was more drama to come. Referee Joe McQuillan afforded Padraic Joyce’s outfit one final opportunity. They drove down the stand side and Aaron McKay collided with Hernon. Yellow. Free. Walsh on the right. Short.

Orange and white flooded the field. Armagh arrived in Leitrim with one win in their last three games and leave as the top seed.

Boom.

Scorers for Armagh: Rory Grugan 0-4 (2 free), Conor Turbitt 0-4 (2 free), Andrew Murnin 0-3 (1 mark), Stefan Campbell 0-2, Aidan Forker 0-2, Jason Duffy 0-1.

Scorers for Galway: Sean Kelly 1-1, Cillian McDaid 0-2, Shane Walsh 0-5 (3 free), Peter Cooke 0-2, Matthew Tierney 0-2.

ARMAGH: E Rafferty; P Burns, C Higgins, A Forker; G McCabe, A McKay, C O’Neill; C Mackin, B Crealey; J Duffy, R Grugan, C Cumiskey; C Turbitt, A Murnin, S Campbell.

Subs: J Kieran for C O’Neill (temp 14-20), J Burns for Cumiskey (46), R McQuillan for McCabe (52), J Kieran for Higgins (60), J McElroy for Duffy (69)

GALWAY: C Gleeson; S Kelly, C Hernon, J Glynn; B Mannion, J Daly, J McGrath; P Conroy, C McDaid; M Tierney, J Heaney, P Cooke; I Burke, C Sweeney, S Walsh.

Subs: J Maher for Mannion (52), R Finnerty for Heaney (58), C Ó Curraoin for McDaid (temp 68-73), Ó Curraoin for Kelly (73) 

Referee: J McQuillan (Cavan)