Armagh top group after Campbell grabs late draw against Galway
Tiernan Kelly of Armagh celebrates after scoring his side's goal against Galway in their All-Ireland SFC group 1 game. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
For the third year in a row, this fixture finished in a dramatic conclusion. Galway were a point up when Tomo Culhane’s shot went wide. Armagh roared up the other end to equalise through Stefan Campbell. They head for the quarter-finals. Galway are left with huge regrets once again.
In a peculiar trilogy, this game was a slow burner that caught fire in a mad finale. After all of the drama that came in the 2022 quarter-final and the 2023 group game, a late third-quarter swing saw Armagh rattle off 1-3 in the space of four minutes. Tiernan Kelly’s second-half goal was the decisive score and it all stemmed from a Galway kickout mistake.
Playing against a stiff breeze in the first half, Galway set out to control possession and would have been content with a two-point lead at half-time. Armagh struck first through Kelly while Connor Gleeson missed two early frees. Eventually, Matthew Tierney scored thanks to an Aidan Forker error.
Armagh struggled to tie down Galway’s two primary shooters. Robert Finnerty played with heavy strapping on his knee, yet it failed to inhibit him as he curled over a terrific effort from near the end line with 15 minutes played.
Later Shane Walsh, marked by Barry McCambridge, laid off for Paul Conroy to kick Galway into the lead and then landed two consecutive beauties with left and right to push them three up. Rian O’Neill responded with a skied shot that made it 0-8 to 0-6 at the turnaround.
Armagh’s conversion finished at 50% from play. Turbitt led the way with 1-4 from six shots and 1-1 in assists.
Galway looked comfortable until they shot themselves in the foot. A Gleeson short kickout went straight to Turbitt. He carried the ball to the edge of the square and palmed to Kelly for a simple finish. O’Neill arrowed over a subsequent boomer. Gleeson’s next restart went wayward again and Kelly returned the favour to gift Turbitt a fisted point.
Two Walsh frees saw Padraic Joyce’s outfit make the margin one with four minutes of extra-time to play. Substitute Culhane had a chance to make it two. After Campbell’s leveller, Galway were afforded one final chance, but Conroy’s pass failed to find Culhane. They will play in the preliminary quarter-final next week.
S. Walsh (0-5, 3 free); R. Finnerty (0-3, 2 free); P. Conroy (0-2), M. Tierney, D. McHugh, J. Maher, L. Silke, C. McDaid (0-1 each).
C. Turbitt (0-4, 1 free); T. Kelly (1-1); A. Murnin (0-2); R. O’Neill (0-3); B. Crealey, S. Campbell (0-1 each).
C. Gleeson; J. McGrath, S. Fitzgerald, J. Glynn; S. Mulkerrin, L. Silke, D McHugh; P. Conroy, J. Maher; C. McDaid, S. Kelly, C. Darcy; R. Finnerty, S. Walsh, M. Tierney.
Subs: J. Daly for Mulkerrin (47); C. Sweeney for McDaid (53); J. Heaney for Kelly (62); D. O’Flaherty for Darcy (68); T. Culhane for Finnerty (70).
B. Hughes; B. McCambridge, A. McKay, C. Higgins; A. Forker, N. Grimley, J. McElroy; R. O’Neill, B. Crealey; P. McGrane, T Kelly, O Conaty; R. Grugan, A. Murnin, C. Turbitt.
Subs: S. Campbell for Higgins (half-time); R McQuillan for Conaty (47); A Nugent for Forker (54); O. O’Neill for McGrane (65).
S Hurson (Tyrone).
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