In the ultimate Group One match held at Markievicz Park, the third round of the All-Ireland SFC Group 1, between Galway and Armagh ended with scores at Galway 0-15, Armagh 1-12. Galway, initially predicted for a quarter-final berth, found themselves in trouble just past the game’s halfway mark. With a favourable lead of five points (0-13 to 0-8) due to a successful shot by Liam Silke in minute 54, the control of the game seemed to be in their hands.
However, misfortune soon befell the champions from Connacht. Four minutes of chaos yielded 1-3 to Armagh, 1-1 of which came from stolen kick-outs. Instantly, Galway found themselves losing, having relinquished all the gained momentum. They did regain some resolve, maintaining a competitive pace until the game’s conclusion.
Highlighting the game’s near end, Shane Walsh successfully recreated a crucial free-kick from just inside the 45-metre mark. The scene was reminiscent of a similar situation from last year’s same fixture, when a missed kick by Walsh would’ve drawn the game and sent Galway straight to the quarter-finals. Despite restoring their lead, a missed opportunity by substitute Tomo Culhane to further their lead was followed by a clean equaliser from Armagh’s Stefan Campbell, squaring the game.
Even though the match concluded in a draw with 8,870 spectators, the sensation in the quiet Galway locker room was one of defeat, with Armagh perceived to have claimed the victory. Galway’s performance was noteworthy in the first half, as they manoeuvred the strong winds and held possession for impressive durations. Scoring eight times from a dozen opportunities, including successful free-kicks by Rob Finnerty and several impressive points from Walsh, they maintained a strong lead at half-time. Their advantage then narrowed to 0-9 to 0-6, before a brilliant point by Armagh’s Rian O’Neill reduced the gap, leaving Armagh only two points short.
The Connacht champions leveraged the wind to put up an expansive show. With Walsh and Finnerty leading their frontline, they had a hold on the game, particularly in the third quarter. The muscular prowess of John Maher in the centerfield and the exceptional skills of Dylan McHugh, who could find and swiftly manoeuvre through the crowd gaps, were the stand-out elements of their victory.
Notwithstanding a worrying dip in score conversions – Finnerty, mistiming his fisting, hit a ball off the crossbar and several shots fell short, it didn’t really dampen their game.
Armagh’s formidable player, Conor Turbitt, who had been consistently putting up a commendable fight upfront, managed to score his team’s first point in the 14th minute. Connor Gleeson’s kick-off landed straight with Turbitt, who ingeniously manoeuvred a goal pass to Tiernan Kelly, reducing the gap to just one point.
The balance of the game shifted when O’Neill scored an equaliser. Gleeson’s restart was again interrupted, this time by Kelly, who reciprocated by passing the ball to Turbitt, thereby securing a one-point lead.
At the end of the game, Armagh emerged atop the leaderboard. They are set to go directly to Croke Park, while Galway anxiously awaits to know their preliminary quarter-final opponents. They’ll face off in a week.
GALWAYS’ squad comprised C Gleeson, J McGrath, S Fitzgerald, J Glynn, D McHugh (0-1), L Silke (0-1), S Mulkerrin, P Conroy (0-2), J Maher (0-1), C D’Arcy, S Kelly (captain), C McDaid (0-1), R Finnerty (0-3), M Tierney (0-1), S Walsh (0-5). The substitute players included were J Daly for Mulkerrin (48th min), C Sweeney for McDaid (54th min), J Heaney for Kelly (61st min), D O’Flaherty for D’Arcy (62nd min), and T Culhane for Finnerty (70th min).
In Armagh’s line-up were B Hughes, B McCambridge, A McKay and C Higgins; A Forker, N Grimley, J McElroy along with B Crealey who scored 0-1, R O’Neill who scored 0-3, P McGrane, T Kelly netting 1-1, O Conaty, R Grugan, A Murnin with a score of 0-2, and C Turbitt on 0-4 with 1f. The list of substitutes included S Campbell who scored 0-1 replacing Higgins at half-time, R McQuillan came in as a sub for Conaty at the 48th minute, A Nugent replaced Forker at the 54th minute, and O O’Neill bought in at 65 minute, scoring 0-1 in place of McGrane. The match was overseen by referee Seán Hurson from Tyrone.