Galway hang on for three-point win over Armagh
Sunday 12 July 2015 20:15, UK
Galway failed to score for the final 25 minutes but hung on for a 1-12 to 0-12 win over Armagh in an absorbing All-Ireland SFC Qualifier at the Athletic Grounds.
A 42nd-minute goal by Damien Comer was the crucial score and helped the Tribesmen into a seven-point lead, but Armagh fought back with points from Mark Shields, Aiden Forker (two) and Tony Kernan to set up a dramatic finish.
Armagh were furious Jamie Clarke was not awarded a penalty in the 64th minute, but he was then lucky to escape a black card after a rugby tackle on Cathal Sweeney.
Referee David Gough lost control of the game after the penalty incident, but correctly showed a black card to Gary Sice for a cynical foul on Clarke in injury time with Armagh hunting for an equalising goal.
Cathal Sweeney was also shown a black card in the third minute of stoppage time, but Galway held on to book a place in Round 3B of the Qualifiers.
The sides were level four times in a fast-paced, entertaining first half littered with quality scores.
Galway will have been pleased to lead 0-9 to 0-7 at the interval, with Paul Conroy punishing some Armagh ill-discipline with four converted frees.
He landed two inside the opening four minutes, but Armagh responded with three points from play in a seven-minute spell from Ethan Rafferty, Michael McKenna and James Morgan.
Michael Lundy's near-post shot was saved by Armagh goalkeeper Matthew McNeice but Conroy tapped over his third free before Liam Silke popped up with a long-range score for Galway's first from play in the 17th minute.
Clarke was well enough contained, but managed to produce one moment of brilliance to draw Armagh level at 0-4 apiece.
From the 13-metre line on the wrong side of the field for a left-footed kicker, he somehow managed to direct the ball between the posts, after Aaron Findon had taken a superb high kickout to start the move.
Peadar Óg Ó Griofa and Damien Comer reasserted Galway's lead but again, the home side fought back with Andrew Murnin punishing a terrible kickout by Brian O'Donoghue and Rafferty scoring Armagh's only free of the first half.
Galway scored three of the last four points in the final five minutes before the interval. Comer showed great strength to hold off two men and sling the ball over with his left foot before Gary Sice landed a screamer from 50 yards.
Michael McKenna scored his second of the half for Armagh before Conroy nailed his fourth free to put the Tribesmen 0-9 to 0-7 ahead.
Both teams deserved credit for producing a high quality contest in such a pressure situation.
In front of 9,367 supporters, the drama continued and Galway pushed their lead out to three for the first time in the game through Sice's 38th-minute free.
Rafferty's free reduced the deficit to two shortly after before Comer struck the opening goal after 42 minutes.
Conroy's 45-metre free dropped short and Comer rose highest, with his back to goal, to fist the ball into the net to put Galway 1-10 to 0-8 ahead.
For the first time, Armagh seemed rattled and started giving possession away cheaply. Conroy missed two chances to stretch Galway's lead but substitute Danny Cummins kicked a score from an acute angle and a long-range Sice free put Galway seven points to the good.
Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney responded with a triple substitution and it immediately lifted the home side.
One of the newcomers, Mark Shields, kicked a point with his first touch and Aiden Forker closed the gap to five points midway through the second half.
The fightback was on, and it was all one-way traffic in the last 15 minutes as Armagh tried to claw back the deficit.
They got to within three thanks to a superb score from Tony Kernan in the 67th minute but Galway, who have lost a number of tight matches in the qualifiers in recent seasons, just about survived.
Galway: B O'Donoghue; J Duane, F Hanley, C Sweeney; L Silke (0-1), G O'Donnell, G Bradshaw; F O Curraoin, T Flynn; G Sice (0-3, 2f), P Conroy (0-4, 4f), S Denvir; P O Griofa (0-1), D Comer (1-2), M Lundy.
Subs: D Cummins (0-1) for Denvir (ht), A Varley for O Griofa (65), P Sweeney for Sice (70, black card), P Varley for Sweeney (70, black card).
Armagh: M McNeice; A Mallon, C Vernon, J Morgan (0-1); M Murray, B Donaghy, S Connell; A Findon, E Rafferty (0-3, 2f); S Campbell, A Forker (0-2, 1f), C Rafferty; M McKenna (0-2), A Murnin (0-1), J Clarke (0-1).
Subs: D McKenna for E Rafferty (50), T Kernan (0-1) for McKenna (50), M Shields (0-1) for Connell (50), S Harold for Findon (58).
Ref: David Gough (Meath).
