Pádraic Joyce believes football needs 'novel pairing' All-Ireland final
Another thrilling semi-final, a huge crowd of 67,002 to witness it, one novelty All-Ireland final between Galway and Armagh; summer has finally arrived.
In the end, Pádraic Joyce’s five years with Galway helped him see off a Donegal side who are in year one. True this is a comeback for Jim McGuinness, but it is still a different team starting from a lower base. A deeper squad and much-needed composure down the stretch was the ultimate difference.
It started with a sombre note for the Tribesmen. Croke Park aired a touching tribute to two-time All-Ireland-winning manager John O’Mahony. Galway’s players formed a V during that montage, to symbolise ‘vanguard,’ a nod to one of Gaelic football’s great innovators. The 26-man panel and backroom team subsequently came together for the national anthem.
They started brightly too, landing the opening two scores of the tie through eventual Man of the Match Dylan McHugh and Robert Finnerty. Shane Walsh’s sole point from play came midway through the half. A long ball towards Damien Comer was well-gathered by Finnerty who popped it back outside for a routine score.
The fact that Galway successfully navigated this fixture despite Comer being held scoreless by the outstanding Brendan McCole and Walsh’s one effort is impressive. To do it without captain Sean Kelly, replaced by Cein D’Arcy before throw-in, is awesome. Quarter-final substitute Cian Hernon also missed out after breaking his wrist in training midweek.
Donegal’s were better for much of the first-half. Successive wides were quickly resolved as Shane O’Donnell got them going. Oisin Gallen gave Liam Silke huge trouble, creating two points to leave it level on the 13-minute mark before dummying back onto his left and sending a beauty towards Hill 16 to push the Ulster champions one up for the first time.
Then the decisive goal dropped. Paul Conroy’s point effort lacked sufficient power. Shaun Patton was distracted by Matthew Tierney’s rush towards the square and the ball bounced directly into the net.
Michael Langan closed out the half with two sweet points to leave it level at 1-7 to 0-10 apiece as they made for the turnaround. A terrific spell of play followed. Walsh stood over a free and protested at the condition of the ball, only for referee Brendan Cawley to order him to use it anyway. He did and swung it between the posts. Gallen produced pure class again. Cillian McDaid unleashed a boomer, Paddy McBrearty hit back with his trusted left.
When Eoghan Bán Gallagher went down with an injury and McBrearty converted the resulting free, it was a level game with 22 minutes and change remaining. What had proved to be a fruitful shooting resource all season ran dry for Donegal. Four subsequent opportunities dropped short or went wide. A monster effort from the 45 by Langan was their only score before the final whistle. They were spent. There were several factors for that. An immense defensive effort by their opponents, a lack of impact from the bench, the occasion itself.
“We’ll have to go back and look at it, but it’s a huge day,” said Jim McGuinness. “That’s what I said earlier about Galway being there two years ago. It’s a huge day and there’s a lot of emotion attached to the day. The stadium is nearly full and there are 30,000 or 40,000 Donegal people.”
He continued: “They’re on the cusp of something really big themselves and to try and keep that going was a wee bit challenging and you have to give Galway credit as well.”
A proper contest, class and controversy. Galway hit the front in contentious circumstances. One of the only John Maher mistakes was a handpass that hit the deck. Ciaran Thompson scrambled after it only to concede a free for a technical foul. Replays vindicated Brendan Cawley’s call as the ball did appear to touch the ground. Ryan McHugh’s dramatic protests ensured the kick was moved forward.
Could Donegal dig deep again? Negative. The string of wides continued as Langan and the quiet Peadar Mogan missed. Their shot accuracy in the second half was 36%.
It means Galway are set to face Armagh again in HQ, two years after one of the most remarkable quarter-finals ever. Since then, they have played each other two more times in championship. Earlier this season, their Sam Maguire series meeting ended in a dramatic draw. Few would have expected them to both end up as the final two standing. One man did, apparently.
“Ask Kieran McGeeney next week what was texted to him that night,” said Joyce with a smile post-match.
“It's going to be a novel pairing in the final. I think football needs this. It is going to be great. Two teams are going to get at it hammer and tongs.”
What a final we have in store.
: P. Conroy 1-1; R. Finnerty 0-4 (2 frees); S. Walsh 0-3 (2 frees); L. Silke, D. McHugh 0-2 each; C. McDaid, J. Maher 0-1 each.
: M. Langan 0-4; O. Gallen, P. McBrearty(1 free) 0-3 each; S. O’Donnell, C. Thompson 0-2 each; C. McGonagle 0-1.
C. Gleeson; J. McGrath, L. Silke, J. Glynn; D. McHugh, S. Fitzgerald, S. Mulkerrin; P. Conroy, J. Maher; M. Tierney, C. D’Arcy, C. McDaid; R. Finnerty, D. Comer, S. Walsh.
J Heaney for D’Arcy (57); D. O’Flaherty for Walsh (63); J Daly for Fitzgerald (65); K. Molloy for Comer, T. Culhane for McDaid (both 70).
: S. Patton; E. Gallagher, B McCole, C. McColgan; C. Moore, C. McGonagle, P. Mogan; J. McGee, M. Langan; R McHugh, C Thompson, S O’Donnell; P. McBrearty, O. Gallen, A. Doherty.
: D. Ó Baoill for McColgan (30); J. Mac Ceallabhuí for Gallagher (Inj - 48); H. McFadden for McGee, N. O’Donnell for McBrearty (both 60), O Doherty for Doherty (63).
: B Cawley (Kildare).
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