Galway footballers show true grit in overhauling Armagh in group epic

Armagh 0-27

THE team which won’t give up produced one of the greatest championship victories in the annals of Galway football at Breffni Park on Saturday evening.

Galway footballers were forced to look deep into their souls and, perhaps, find something they didn’t think was even there to edge out All-Ireland champions Armagh in this pulsating Group 4 clash.

In all kinds of trouble at half-time when trailing by eight points, the Tribesmen served up a heroic second half display to salvage their season with Man of the Match Shane Walsh holding his nerve to land a dramatic winner.

No wonder the Galway supporters in the crowd of approximately 15,000 stormed onto the Breffni Park surface to salute a team which again showed incredible heart for the second game running to retrieve what was shaping like a lost cause.

Similar to the Derry match a fortnight earlier, Galway rallied from a desperate situation and their camp can only be emboldened for the tough road ahead after Saturday’s stirring triumph.

With Armagh already through to the quarter-finals, there was some anticipation that they would struggle for motivation, but any questions about their level of intent were quickly dispelled despite not fielding top scorers Rory Grugan, Oisín O’Neill and last year’s All-Ireland Final top player in Oisín Conaty.

For much of the opening 35 minutes, it was Armagh who appeared the team which needed a result. Their intensity and hard-running caught Galway off guard as they built up a deserved 0-15 to 0-7 interval advantage.

Granted, an eight-point lead is far from bullet proof under the new rules which have revolutionised Gaelic football, but Armagh were so much on top against the Connacht champions that only one outcome was on the cards.

Against that background, Galway needed to produce their best football of the year to turn things around and, admirably, that’s what they did with significant help off the bench on an evening when Armagh goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty, who amassed three inspirational two-pointers, was outstanding.

Galway have now shown great resolution in two games running; other teams in similar predicaments against both Derry and Armagh would have dropped their heads, but Padraic Joyce and his management have imbued their players with the type of steel and character potential All-Ireland champions require.

The Galway dressing room at half time must have been an anxious place, but there was clearly no panic or blame game. How else could those same group of players go out in the second half and tear into Armagh unless they truly believed their cause wasn’t lost. That takes bucket loads of character.

This was an epic contest which had everything and you’d almost forget that Galway didn’t find the net from two first half penalties such was the joyous emotion at the end. Those deflating misses from Matthew Tierney and Rob Finnerty, however, were in keeping with 35 minutes of football where Armagh were largely in control.

The Orchard men started off at 100 miles an hour, perhaps taking umbrage at suggestions that their minds wouldn’t be on the job given that topping the group was already a done deal. Half-backs Ross McQuillan and Jarly Óg Burns were pouring forward repeatedly, and they were generally operating at a higher level.

Their physique and pace – typifed by Cian McConville who scored three points – was punching serious holes in the Galway cover and their passionate followers were cock-a-hoop when Rafferty – the opening score of the game – midfielder Niall Grimley and Daragh McMullan nailed rousing two pointers.

Pictured: Galway's John Maher shows his delight after finding the net against Armagh in Saturday's All-Ireland Football Championship Group 4 clash at Kingspan Breffni. Photo: Ben McShane/Sportsfile.