McGeeney: 'I’m not being rude but if I say something here, I get a smart-arse email and I get suspended'

For Kieran McGeeney, the win over Galway was a triumph for his side and the new championship structure, but he was unhappy with other factors

JOY OF VICTORY: Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney embraces his wife Maura O’Rahilly after their side's victory in the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Round 3 match between Galway and Armagh at Avant Money Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada in Carrick-on-Shannon, Leitrim. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

On a day filled with character the one who perfectly encapsulated this dramatic final round of the Sam Maguire group stages was Kieran McGeeney. In the final minute at Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, he was up and down like a burly yo-yo.

McGeeney sprang when Rory Grugan kicked over a free to give Armagh a one-point lead. He raced onto the pitch when Galway were awarded a free at the other end, apoplectic at the amount of extra-time. Shane Walsh missed and he spun to his selectors for a long-awaited celebratory embrace.

They came here after losing the Ulster final and were beaten by Tyrone last time out. They left top of the group. It was Grugan who McGeeney was particularly thrilled for after he missed a decisive mark against Derry.

“Delighted for him,” he said post-match. “A good lad, one of our marquee players for the last eight or nine years and he took a lot of hassle for that one. To be the man to put over the winning point today was a good thing.” 

For McGeeney, it was a triumph for his side and the new championship structure.

“You would think we were 10 miles behind Galway listening to some of the noise that’s out there. I think ourselves and Galway have had some of the best games in the last few years and it takes two good teams to have a good game.

“Joyce always puts out good teams. He likes to play football the same way we do. It is physical but fair. Today, we got it. They got an important one last year. We might be seeing each other again.

“It is very hard to know what will keep the people on TV happy. I know what keeps the supporters happy, more games, more competitive games. Every game we’ve been in was competitive. A couple of years ago we were complaining that there wasn’t enough games. Now we’re saying there’s too many. There was crying about dead rubbers and now there’s no dead rubbers and that is no good either.

“You have to sit back and look at it. In some of the games today, everybody was fighting for every single score. To me, the system is much better. It’s not the leadership of the GAA I’d be giving credit to, the teams have really leaned into it.” 

Celebration time and time to air some grievances.

The attendance was 6,803 but McGeeney was unhappy with the venue. “They looked after us really well. But you would have thought that we could definitely have filled other places. I’ve given up years ago trying to understand the CCCC.” 

On the amount of added time, the Armagh boss said it was “tough to take,” but did not want to elaborate.

“I’m not going to talk about referees. All you do is get into hassle. I’m not being rude but if I say something here, I get a smart-arse email and I get suspended. I’m better off not doing it.” 

They will have vice-captain Rian O’Neill back for the quarter-final. He was suspended for Sunday after an unsuccessful appeal.

"I will say one thing, whatever about CCCC, the hearings committee has got much better, much fairer, far better system in place. I might not agree with the result, but we got a fair hearing. We have to make calls based on what they see and what they know. I still think Rian was innocent. There were two people.” 

Meanwhile, Galway manager Pádraic Joyce was left frustrated at their turnovers and missed chances including a penalty. Throw in a few decisions for good measure.

“1-12 is not enough to win any game. I just thought Armagh got a couple of soft frees there in the second half. That is the nature of it.

“When you are running hard at a team and get touched you are going to go down, they got five or six frees in the second half there that we weren't getting at the far side. Again, that is just my probably biased opinion you can say. We had plenty of chances other than that to score.” 

Damien Comer and Dylan McHugh missed out with hamstring injuries while captain Seán Kelly left Leitrim in a boot on crutches. They now face a race to be fit for the preliminary quarter-final.

“It’s doubtful to be honest. Again, when you are playing championship at this time of year you need to be 100%, so they are doubtful.”