Here’s the news we’ve been waiting for – Galway will compete against Armagh for the first time ever in the All-Ireland final, making this a historic moment in the sport. After an action-packed weekend, it’s fitting that these are the two teams left standing. After all, the meaning of an open championship is lost if there is no unusual pair in the final.
Galway emerged victorious over Donegal by showing greater endurance. Their win with a 1-14 to 0-15 score felt akin to a gruelling 800m Olympic race where each contestant runs at full pelt until the strongest ones separate from the pack around the last bend. Donegal couldn’t match the pace and were left exhausted by the end.
With the game evenly poised on the 61-minute mark, Galway managed to score two additional points while Donegal’s shots started missing their mark. A stark contrast to their performance in the first half, Jim McGuinness could simply point to the decline in accuracy – from 10 successful shots out of 14 in the first half to a mere five from the same number in the second – to explain their downfall. They had the opportunity to reach the final but failed to maintain their momentum.
Armagh is on track to crown an exceptional year of supremacy in Ulster with an All-Ireland final while an out-of-fuel Donegal watches Galway advance.
Paul Conroy, the pivot for Galway, played flawlessly with every pass finding its intended recipient. Joyce shares the notion that Galway triumphed due to their battle-toughened experience.
“The factors involved may include exhaustion and decision-making abilities,” opines McGuinness. “As the energy levels decrease, even the most routine tasks seem challenging. We seemed to lose that rhythm and fluency we’ve displayed all year.”
From McGuinness’s standpoint, it’s evident that a golden chance has been missed. Competing in an All-Ireland semi-final without heavyweights like Dublin and Kerry and with only Armagh left to face is a rare opportunity in one’s career.
Without a doubt, the concept of Year One doesn’t exist. The focus is always on the current year. This year, we had a promising opportunity. During half-time, we felt secure and believed we could have successfully finalised the game if we had maintained our composure and continued our push for another quarter hour. However, the reality didn’t align with our expectations.
Unfortunately, we must accept the defeat and learn from it. Nevertheless, it’s crucial to reiterate that the stakes today were deciding our fate in 2024. Armagh has courageously seized the day yesterday and now, they are one of the finalists. We played against them thrice this year without losing any game. Wishing them and Galway the best of luck.
As it turns out, Galway emerged victorious due to their increased strength and perhaps their wisdom that comes with age. They have previously clinched an All-Ireland semi-final and further capitalised on the experience they garnered two years back.
Back in 2022, if you had informed someone that Galway would secure their impending final spot without the likes of Shane Walsh, Damien Comer, Cillian McDaid or Seán Kelly on the field at the end, no one would have guessed that 2024 would be that year.
Pádraic Joyce, due to absolute necessity, had to mould his team in order to qualify for such a competitive landscape. Since the 2022 final, Galway participated in 29 league and championship games, with Walsh and Comer playing together for the entire duration in just two games, and none in the past 14 months. Kelly hasn’t participated in an entire game since the Connacht final in early May, and wasn’t present in this game. Despite these setbacks, Galway’s remarkable achievement is the sustained momentum of their campaign.
“The development of our squad has certainly been a significant factor,” declared Joyce. “This was not quite evident in 2022 but it’s clearly visible now. We proved to be more prepared while entering the decisive stage of the games. Our performance in the Mayo and Sligo games were indicative of this preparedness. Although we were in a tight situation in the Sligo game, we somehow managed to win. Post that, we played against Derry, Armagh, Westmeath, and Dublin, the most recent one.”
“Donegal, having breezed through their previous two matches against Clare and Louth more easily than expected, seemed less prepared in comparison to Armagh who had a tougher journey. This was evident in their fixture last Saturday evening, Armagh appearing hardened and resolute. I believe this was the critical factor in their victory. In all honesty, we might be slightly ahead in terms of development than Donegal.”
The final now beckons Armagh, a match with an unpredictable outcome. Joyce seemed to radiate a playful air in the media meeting when an enquiry was made about their previous encounter at Markievicz Park, where the two opponents had gone head-to-head, ending in stalemate. Was he anticipating a final clash with them?
“You’ll get your answer if you inquire from Kieran McGeeney about the message he received that night,” quipped Joyce.
“In the past three years or so, we’ve competed against Armagh thrice. The outcomes were an even split – a win by a point for each side and the most recent one ending in a draw. There’s a mere kick of a ball separating us, the final promises to be an excitingly unorthodox pairing. This is a breath of fresh air for football, where two parties will face-off fiercely. May the superior side claim victory.”
Hear, hear!