Walsh lands late free to complete Galway rally and secure preliminary quarter-final place

Steve Malone reports from Kingspan Breffni

GALWAY CAME FROM eight points down at half-time to clinch an after-hooter winner over defending All-Ireland champions Armagh and secure their progress in the competition.

With Armagh having already secured passage into the last eight, they had little riding on the game except competition for places, yet in the first half they posed a lot of questions to Galway, who somehow managed to score only 0-01 from two penalties.

However, the Tribesmen had all the answers in a thrilling second half that had the sides level on six occasions before talisman Shane Walsh converted a match winning free, with the last kick of the game.

There was much pre-match noise about Kingspan Breffni Park as news filtered through that talisman Damian Comer wouldn’t be featuring before the late changes from Galway boss Pádraic Joyce who made big calls to drop keeper Connor Gleeson and bring in Conor Flaherty, as well as moving last years’ Player of the Year Paul Conroy to the bench with Peter Cook getting the nod.

Armagh were always going to make a couple of changes to the team announced, so it was little surprise to see Joe McElroy come in for last years’ Player of the Year Oisin Conaty while Crossmaglen’s Cian McConville got a rare start. with Stefan Campbell reverting to his super-sub role.

Armagh’s team were missing seven and Galway five players from that started in last season’s All-Ireland Final. Cavan’s Kingspan Breffni Park was bouncing and it was Kieran McGeeney’s side raced into a 0-09 to 0-02 lead with Ethan Rafferty, Peter McGrane, Rian O’Neill, Niall Grimley, Conor Turbitt, Ross McQuillan and Cian McConville all on target.

Shane Walsh bagged Galway’s first two points and they had goal chances, especially from the spot, but keeper Rafferty denied Walsh and then Rob Finnerty lashed his penalty over the bar.

McConville, young Dara McMullan (two-pointer) and Niall Grimley (two-pointer) put Armagh into a commanding 0-15 to 0-07 half time lead but then it was Galway’s turn to put squeeze on Armagh and John Maher’s goal three minutes into the half set the tone.

Finnerty grabbed the second goal on 56 minutes and by that time the lead had changed hands a few times and it was obvious this would go down to the wire. Walsh kept the Galway scoreboard ticking over, with Cian Darcy, Finnerty and Matthew Tierney chipping in.

Armagh hit back with Andrew Murnin, Stefan Campbell and Rafferty grabbing levelling scores, but when it came to the crunch, Galway were in possession when the hooter sounded and they were gifted a free, which was meat a drink stuff for Walsh, who held his nerve, much to the relief of the Tribesmen, who showed they are very much in the title race.

GALWAY: Conor Flaherty, Johnny McGrath, Sean Fitzgerald, Jack Glynn, Dylan McHugh, Sean Kelly, Liam Silke, Peter Cook (0-03, 1tp), John Maher (1-00), Cillian McDaid (0-02), Robert Finnerty (1-04, 0-1 penalty), Cein Darcy (0-01), Matthew Tierney (0-01), Shane Walsh (0-10, 01=-01 free, 2tpf), Matthew Thompson.

Subs: Daniel Flaherty for Silke (ht’), Paul Conroy (0-01) for Cook (ht’), Cathal Sweeney (0-01) for McHugh (54’), Johnny Heaney for McDaid (67’).

ARMAGH: Ethan Rafferty (0-07, 1tp, 2tpf), Paddy Burns, Barry McCambridge, Peter McGrane (0-01), Ross McQuillan (0-03), Tiernan Kelly (0-01), Jarly Og Burns (0-01), Jason Duffy (0-01), Niall Grimley (0-03, 1tp), Darragh McMullan (0-02, 1tp, Rian O’Neill (0-01), Joe McElroy, Cian McConville (0-03), Andrew Murnin (0-01), Conor Turbitt (0-01).

Subs: Tomas McCormac for McCambridge (19’), Greg McCabe for P Burns (ht’), Stefan Campbell (0-01) for Duffy (53’), Connaire Mackin for Grimley (58’), Oisin Conaty for McMullan (62’), Shane McPartlan (0-01) for McConville (64’).

Referee: Noel Mooney (Cavan).