LAST UPDATE | 18 Jun 2023
THEY MAY NOT have wanted the game in Carrick on Shannon, but no Armagh fan will ever forget the hysterical celebrations that greeted Shane Walsh’s last ballooned free that secured their win here. You suspect that Kieran McGeeney and the Orchard fans will use it as rocket fuel from here on in.
The win moved them up to four points in the group two standings. Forget turning the tables, this was like a Sunday dinner table all laid out with the trimmings being upended with the contents scattered.
It brought them level with Galway, but they win on the head to head. It grants them the luxury now of putting their feet up next weekend as another crew of cut throats do their worst to each other in the preliminary quarter-finals.
A goal from Sean Kelly and a missed penalty from Shane Walsh in the first half meant that Armagh were riding their luck at times, but the effort expended here was nothing short of herculean.
It might have taken it’s time to warm up, but the first half caught a burst of frenetic momentum with incident aplenty.
Before all that, Armagh set out with real intent. There have been question marks over Galway goalkeeper Connor Gleeson’s ability to cope with real pressure and they pressed all of his kickouts aggressively, knowing they had a surprising breeze on their backs.
On 15 minutes, Gleeson’s indecision led to referee Joe McQuillan throwing the ball up. Apart from that though, Galway weathered it all. They didn’t give up a single kickout and soon reverted to stacking their players in a neat line before breaking in all directions to pick up a bouncing pass.
When the pressure was too great, a mixture of hard graft and height won a series of balls there to be contested.
Some sparkling opening points arrived from Rory Grugan and Conor Turbitt, while Peter Cooke and Cillian McDaid replied. A fast break and a pass from Johnny Heaney gave Shane Walsh a point, replied instantly by a ball, swivel and point by Armagh’s Andrew Murnin.
A penalty for Galway arrived when they put together a slick handpassing move involving Cian Hernon, John Daly, McDaid and finally Sean Kelly bearing down on goal. He was tackled by Conor O’Neill and Aidan Forker, brought to the ground and referee Joe McQuillan awarded a penalty.
Ethan Rafferty, on the wrong side of the Ulster final penalty shootout, saved a poorly hit Shane Walsh penalty that upped the intensity and was rewarded in the subsequent move by a Turbitt pointed free.
Some of the helium was sucked out of their balloon in the next play. Sean Kelly was hovering around the first layer of the Armagh blanket but he burned past Stefan Campbell to find an unimpeded route to goal, keeping his shot low past Rafferty to make it 1-4 to 0-5.
In a flash, Campbell replied with a point. His long consultation with selector Kieran Donaghy soon after showed the level of stress on the pitch.
The final score of the half came from Cillian McDaid after a long run, but there was enough time for a Campbell squared pass across the face of goal towards Greg McCabe.
That man Kelly was positioned perfectly to get a hand to the pass to leave them 1-5 to 0-6 ahead at the break, with the benefit of the breeze to follow, and Lee Keegan in The Sunday Game studio suggesting Armagh assign a man-marker to Kelly. A rarity for a full-back, but necessary nonetheless.
But a scoring burst at the start of the second half showed Armagh’s relentlessness. Andrew Murnin opening with a mark, a Conor Turbitt free and after a couple of orange jersies subjected Matthew Tierney to a private torture chamber along the sideline, they got possession and Stefan Campbell pushed them in front.
Back came Galway with a Walsh free that kissed the post on the way over, followed by a Tierney point.
With the rain shower affecting things, this became a tight, claustrophobic affair, every point earned with several bangs along the way. Grugan and Turbitt edged Armagh ahead again and after an Ethan Rafferty short kickout was intercepted, Walsh took his point for Galway.
The same Walsh was mixing the good with the bad. There was a half chance on the break with Rafferty stranded to have a cut at an audacious goal, but he over-elaborated. He missed a free on his right, before converting a more central chance with his left foot to go a point up on 54 minutes.
Another double for Armagh through Grugan; one from play and another from a free wrestled back the lead. Sean Kelly once again barrelled through and while he lost the ball, had a soccer-style wild hack that flew over the bar, with Tierney then adding another point to go one up with five minutes left.
The game was level on eleven occasions as time ticked away. The final score came when Peter Cooke tried to play a ball back towards John Daly, it bounced too high and Andrew Murnin got to it. He ran upfield and was fouled by Paul Conroy, with Rory Grugan kicking the free over.
A late, late chance to level came when Stefan Campbell thundered into Cian Hernon, presenting Shane Walsh with a final chance to level, but he put his shot harmlessly into the skies.
For the first time this year, Galway didn’t come out of a championship game with a win. Doubts will now surround them. Losing Damien Comer and Dylan McHugh prior to throw-in significantly weakened them and without Comer, they lacked a central focus to their attack.
They go into the draw for the preliminary round, with at least the benefit of a home draw. The sight of several subs doing their shuttle runs after the game in a downpour shows that the show goes on.
For Armagh, it feels like the party that fizzled out in the middle part of the 00’s decade is rekindling.
Scorers for Armagh: Rory Grugan 0-5 (3f), Conor Turbitt 0-4 (2f), Aidan Forker 0-2, Stefan Campbell 0-2, Andrew Murnin 0-2 (1mark), Jason Duffy 0-1
Scorers for Galway: Sean Kelly 1-1, Shane Walsh 0-5 (3f), Cillian McDaid 0-2, Matthew Tierney 0-2, Peter Cooke 0-2
1. Ethan Rafferty (Granemore)
2. Paddy Burns (Burren), 7. Conor O’Neill (Killeavey), 4. Aidan Forker (Maghery)
6. Aaron McKay (Dromintee), 12. Callum Cumiskey (Crossmaglen) 3. Ciaran Higgins (Maghery)
8. Ciaran Mackin (Camlough), 9. Ben Crealey (Maghery)
10. Jason Duffy (Cullyhanna), 11. Rory Grugan (Ballymacnab), 5. Greg McCabe (Camlough)
13. Conor Turbitt (Clann Eireann), 14. Andrew Murnin (St Paul’s), 15. Stefan Campbell (Clann na Gael)
Subs:
20. Jarlath Óg Burns (Silverbridge) for Cumiskey (46)
18. Ross McQuillan (Cullyhanna) for McCabe (52)
24. Justin Kieran (Granemore) for Higgins (60)
17. Joe McElroy (Armagh Harps) for Duffy (70)
1. Connor Gleeson (Dunmore)
2. John McGrath (Caherlistrane), 3. Sean Kelly (Moycullen), 4. Jack Glynn (Claregalway)
19. Billy Mannion (Mountbellew-Moylough), 6. John Daly (Mountbellew-Moylough), 7. Cian Hernon (Barna)
8. Paul Conroy (St James’) 9. Cillian McDaid (Monivea Abbey)
10. Matthew Tierney (Oughterard), 11. Johnny Heaney (Killannin), 12. Peter Cooke (Moycullen)
13. Ian Burke (Corofin), 23. Cathal Sweeney (Salthill-Knocknacarra), 15. Shane Walsh (Kilmacud Crokes)
Subs:
20. John Maher (Salthill-Knocknacarra) for Mannion (52)
24. Robert Finnerty (Salthill-Knocknacarra) for Heaney (58)
25. Cillian ÓCurraoin (Michael Breathnach) for McDaid (68)
9. Cillian McDaid for Kelly (72)
Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)
Written by Declan Bogue and posted on the42.ie
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