Padraic Joyce revels in Galway's semi-final win over Derry: 'I said it from day one, it is about winning the All-Ireland'

As a player, Pádraic Joyce always had a swagger and he brought that to the table immediately when taking on the Galway job.

In the wake of his appointment to succeed Kevin Walsh, Joyce publicly targeted the Tribesmen's first All-Ireland title since 2001.

While his first two attempts fell short with Connacht final defeats to Mayo in 2020 and 2021, Joyce's side are now just one step away from realising that ambition.

"I said it from day one when I got the job, it is about winning the All-Ireland. It has taken us three years to get here. We're here now so we are definitely going to make the most of it," Joyce said after Saturday's semi-final win over Derry.

"They did [stand up], it was great. Semi-finals are for winning, it mightn't be pretty at times. We have won it and we have a final to look forward to in two weeks' time.

"We are going to enjoy tonight, we are going to enjoy the build up for the next two weeks, we are going to give one hell of a performance here in two weeks' time."

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'They completely snuffed Derry out'

It was particularly pleasing from Joyce's perspective that his team found a way to win, despite the first half being a cagey affair in which they failed to score for 21 minutes.

"There is a sign in the dressing room going out the door saying to 'find a way'. You have to find a way - whatever goes on," Joyce said.

"You are not always going to win a game by kicking 2-19 or 2-20, the most pleasing part is the lads did find a way. They eked it out, they put the shoulder to the wheel, worked really, really hard.

"They took the hits, they gave the hits, I think they completely snuffed Derry out. I think Derry are a brilliant side, they have had a fantastic year. Rory [Gallagher] has the lads in great shape. In fairness we held them to six points (1-6) which is a tremendous achievement by us."

And after waiting 21 years to win a knockout championship game at Croke Park, Galway have won two in a fortnight. Their penalties victory over Armagh two weeks ago has galvanised this team, and they followed it up against the Oak Leaf County.

"There'd be a soft kinda belly seen in Galway, that until we actually go and win these big games in Croke Park that tag is going to follow you around," Joyce said.

"So after winning that [Armagh] game and the way we won it, being six up, letting them back into it, and the row, normally gone by we might have folded a bit, but we took a lot of solace from that. We performed really well in extra time, we had great coolness in the penalties.

"The biggest thing for us was trying to get lads mentally back up for today. We have to become a team that performs in Croke Park day in day out, and I think we have done it to a degree this year, so if we keep doing that all the time, people might start talking a bit more freely about us."

Joyce was quizzed about the hawkeye controversy, in which Shane Walsh was retrospectively awarded a point before the start of the second half.

He was glad they came to the correct decision.

"At the time the kick was taken, I thought it was over the bar. I couldn't believe it. They came in and rectified it. Technology is human too, maybe," he said.

And the Tribe marksman followed up with three consecutive frees after the restart to send the Connacht champions into the lead.

"They were very important," added Joyce.

"When you go in at half-time level, you want to get the first score because the first score of the second half is a two-point swing, you either go one up or one behind. In fairness to Shane, they were difficult frees on his left foot, but he struck them really, really well.

"He hasn't missed a free for us all year, believe it or not. They were pressure kicks. We got the goal then which I thought was the key turning point in it."