Controlled Armagh edge Galway to win second All-Ireland title
GLORY DAY: Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney celebrates after their side's victory in the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final match between Armagh and Galway at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Another All-Ireland Sunday, another provincial runners-up claim the ultimate glory as Armagh fended off Galway to claim their second-ever Sam Maguire Cup.
Following the example of Clare seven days earlier, Armagh dusted themselves off another provincial final disappointment and grabbed the bigger title with a superbly controlled performance.
Aaron McKay’s 47th minute goal proved the difference although Galway will rue the glut of scoring misses in the second half. Shane Walsh struck two short and kicked another wide, while Dylan McHugh was off target with two, the last of them Galway’s final chance of equalising in the fifth minute of additional time.
Up to conceding the goal, Galway lost seven leads but didn’t go behind until that 47th minute when Stefan Campbell made an instant impact off the bench, squaring a hand-pass for Aaron McKay to palm to the net.
It gave Armagh a two-point cushion having found themselves two points behind in the opening minutes of the second half. As the game opened up, Rian O’Neill and Shane Walsh, after iffy first halves, announced themselves. O’Neill’s beauty in the 41st minute was followed by a gorgeous Walsh effort in the next minute.
Walsh, with a free, cancelled out a Tiernan Kelly point just before McKay’s goal. Cein Darcy’s third point of the game cut the difference to two but Armagh stretched their lead to three with a terrific Niall Grimley point and then an Oisín O’Neill strike.
Galway, despite their erratic shooting, were within a point in the penultimate of normal time as Matthew Tierney and Cillian McDaid hit their range. However, there were no further scores. Walsh’s long-range free dropped short and McHugh’s outside-of-the-boot attempt struck the post and went wide.
The teams were level five times in the first half and finished 0-6 apiece, Galway going ahead the same amount of times and being pulled back each time. It was a largely forgettable period only memorable for the shot-taking of midfielders Paul Conroy and Ben Crealey who each stepped up with a brace and perhaps the welfare of a lame seagull who laboured around the field.
The teams’ respective stars were conspicuous by their absence. Walsh, who put two frees wide, and O’Neill were outscored by their markers Barry McCambridge and Liam Silke.
Conor Turbitt, who himself sent a free wide and should have made more of a darting Conaty pass later in the half, wasn’t performing either. Nor was Damien Comer, although he did some great spadework to feed John Maher for a 26th minute point.
Galway led by two points for less than a minute early on but were reeled back to level terms within four minutes. After that, Rob Finnerty had to leave the field with a leg injury and Johnny Heaney replaced him. Finnerty had taken a blow five minutes early in winning a free he sent over.
Galway’s scores were largely the product of deliberate build-up play, while Armagh’s came as either returning fire or in flashes. Céin Darcy’s 20th minute point was an exception as Galway put together a slick move having won a free from a kick-out.
Five minutes afterwards, Armagh captain Aidan Forker resurrected an attack that appeared to be running out of gas with a smashing point to bring his men level once more.
Maher and McCambridge exchanged points and after another beautiful Conroy effort Crealey equalled it in the final minute of additional time.
O. Conaty (0-3); A. McKay (1-0); B. Crealey (0-2); A. Forker, B. McCambridge, R. O’Neill, T. Kelly, N. Grimley, O. O’Neill (0-1 each).
P. Conroy, C. Darcy (0-3 each); S. Walsh (1 free), C. McDaid (0-2 each); L. Silke, R. Finnerty (free), J. Maher (0-1 each).
B. Hughes; B. McCambridge, A. McKay, P. Burns; C. Mackin, T. Kelly, A. Forker (c); N. Grimley, B. Crealey; O. Conaty, R. O’Neill, J. McElroy; R. Grugan, A. Murnin, C. Turbitt.
S. Campbell for C. Turbitt, R. McQuillan for T. Kelly (both 46); O. O’Neill for R. Grugan (inj 51); J. Burns for C. Mackin (59); J. Duffy for A. Forker (70+5).
C. Gleeson; J. McGrath, S. Fitzgerald, J. Glynn; D. McHugh, L. Silke, S. Ó Maoilchiaráin; P. Conroy, J. Maher; M. Tierney (c), C. Darcy, C. McDaid; R. Finnerty, D. Comer, S. Walsh.
J. Heaney for R. Finnerty (inj 11); S. Kelly for J. Glynn (45); T. Culhane for D. Comer, D. O’Flaherty for M. Tierney (both 66); K. Molloy for J. Heaney (70+5).
S. Hurson (Tyrone).
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