Armagh and Galway are set to face each other once more in this year’s football championship, with the anticipation building for their match at Croke Park this coming Sunday. Earlier this year, in June, they met on the pitch at Markievicz Park, where they battled out a lacklustre draw of 1-12 against 0-15.
Sean Hurson was the referee of that game in Sligo and has been called upon for championship’s biggest event this Sunday. Both squads are no strangers to Hurson’s steady and confident manner of officiating, unlikely to sway the course of the game significantly.
Markievicz Park may be viewed as a cramped pitch by some, but it actually spans an impressive 145m by 90m, which makes it one of the country’s wider and longer sports grounds, even surpassing that of Croke Park in width. Though there might be some similarities between this game and the one in June, differences are inevitable. Moreover, prime player Damien Comer was notably absent on that day, with the greater factor being the raised stakes. Following a hard-fought draw, it was clearly meaningful for Armagh to lead the group and earn a week’s rest. As for Galway, their game was far from over; they simply continued the competition the next week against Monaghan.
As they march into the final, both teams remain undefeated in regular play, except for Armagh’s loss to Ulster in the final via penalties.
Despite prevailingly harsh winds, Galway maintained their stance for the majority of the game in Sligo. They were ahead 0-8 to 0-6 at half time while playing against the elements and subsequently raised Armagh’s ire with their comprehensive defence.
Galway had a firm lead of 0-13 to 0-8, but saw it reduced to a one-point deficit within a mere span of four minutes. This was notably owing to 1-1 procured from Connor Gleeson’s misdirected attempts. It has been previously noted that Armagh implemented a robust and synchronised pressure on the Galway’s kick out throughout the contest at Markievicz Park. To come out victorious this Sunday, they will need to repeat this tactic, disrupting Galway’s kick out and seizing upon it fittingly.
The superior performance of Galway’s kickout strategy against Donegal cannot be overstated, securing 12 of 13 beyond their 45m line. A combination of well-coordinated mismatches and altruistic runs clearing room contributed to this. Rather than using a zonal press, Donegal opted for a direct man-on-man approach which contrasts Armagh’s strategy. Notably, Donegal lacked some of the significant size that Armagh boasts in players like Ben Crealey, Niall Grimley, and Rory Grugan, which may have impacted their performance.
Armagh must prise open Galway’s defence early in their possession game as the Galway defence proves unbending once positioned. Galway boasts the country’s most thrifty defence this year, conceding only a single goal in nine games (Tiernan Kelly’s goal via the press of the Armagh kickout) and maintaining a commendable average of mere 13.4 points conceded per game.
Armagh is mindful of Galway’s defence, as demonstrated in their previous bout where nine of their lost possessions came from failed aggressive kick passes, leading to 0-3 in favour of Galway. A typical strategy for Armagh following a successful throw-in is a direct delivery to the forwards. Early in the game, they often aim to test the keeper-full back communication with float high balls. However, as demonstrated in the Dublin match, Galway shines in adapting defensively to their opponents’ offensive play during the half-time break.
This significant strength of Galway’s was evident in the second half of the match against Dublin, where they put increased pressure on the outside kicks and tightened their marks on the inside forwards, causing misalignment between the outside and inside players. In the Donegal match, Galway compactly positioned on the defensive arc, obstructing Donegal’s shooting area. This demonstrates Galway’s team’s exceptional defensive acumen.
As to how Armagh will set up in the next game, it remains to be seen. Their strategy will undoubtedly need to account for Galway’s formidable defence.
The capacity of Galway to modify their defensive layout is a significant advantage. The onus is on Armagh to generate variety in their offensive tactics. As touched upon previously, Armagh has successfully executed several set attacking strategies in their match against Kerry. Even though they didn’t rack up as many points as they would have liked, such tactics may turn into game-changing assets in the final if successfully executed.
To manoeuvre around the Galway defence, Armagh probably needs multi-pronged offensive strategies, namely plan A, B, C and beyond. Pressing hard into the field during Galway’s possession is a crucial part of this strategy. We are aware that Armagh puts plenty of pressure on Galway’s kickouts. However, they need to continue this aggressive defence when Galway holds possession in their own half.
Throughout this season, this defensive strategy has been fruitful for Armagh, particularly in matches against Fermanagh and Derry. Implementing such strategy can be risky, as it could potentially give Galway players, especially Dylan McHugh and Liam Silke, an opportunity to break defensive lines and create one-on-one attacks. Considering the attacking prowess of Damien Comer, Shane Walsh, and Robert Finnerty, along with mid-field threats by Paul Conroy, Cillian McDaid, and Johnny Maher, Armagh might be wary of this.
In previous engagements, Barry McCambridge was assigned to Shane Walsh, who proved to be a handful. It will be intriguing to see if McCambridge would continue handling Walsh or switch duties owing to the comeback of Damien Comer. Either way, a substantial element of Armagh’s game plan will involve McCambridge creating a diversion by keeping key players occupied in defensive roles. Having scored a goal in his recent two games, McCambridge nearly added another in the dying moments against Kerry.
Galway is expected to let Armagh’s initial kickout pass, as they get into defensive mode. As emphasized earlier, Armagh’s assault must be calculated. When faced with Galway’s structured defence, they should prioritise accurate hand passing and keep their patience. They should be mindful of when to execute kick passes, and when they manage to snag possession from Galway, they must be swift and decisive in their attack.
The pertinent question that arises is whether Armagh is brave enough to play for a win, rather than merely trying to stave off defeat. If yes, with the resources at their disposal, they could triumph. However, if they try to match Galway’s disciplined strategy, the Tribesmen might prove overpowering.
Every sign leading to the hurling final suggested it would be a thrilling game with an abundance of points scored; indeed, this was the case. Today’s outlook hints towards a more cautiously played, less score-packed game, yet the question remains: who will step up and bring the sparkling flair akin to Tony Kelly in the previous week? Shane Walsh and Rian O’Neill, both quintessential candidates, are in the pitch and any of them might prove instrumental in leading their team to seize the Sam. Paul O’Brien, hailing from The Performance Process, serves as a performance examiner (twitter.com/NoPlanBGAA).