Galway on the right road and more progress likely

Inside Track with John McIntyre

ARMAGH may be no world beaters and haven’t made the anticipated progress under the management of one of the county’s most revered footballing figures in Kieran McGeeney, but it still represented a notable achievement for Galway to take the home team’s scalp in the latest round of the All-Ireland qualifiers at the Athletic Grounds last Sunday.

The Tribesmen boss Kevin Walsh is also new to patrolling the sidelines of his native county in 2015 and though the local footballing public would hardly have lost significant faith in the Killanin man if Galway had tripped up against Armagh, this deserved three-point victory provided the former All Star midfielder with further evidence that he on the right road after the team’s competitive effort against Mayo in the Connacht semi-final.

Galway may have been outsiders to carry the day, especially in the continued absence of Shane Walsh, but it still wasn’t difficult to make a strong case for them upsetting the odds. In terms of natural footballing ability and forward class, they had a clear edge but, more importantly, it was about the men in maroon fronting up to a challenge which probably looked more difficult on paper than in transpired in reality.

Ultimately, Galway weren’t found wanting either mentally or physically, and it was no harm either to see some cynicism introduced to their play – both Gary Sice and the impressive Cathal Sweeney receiving black cards for judiciously halting dangerous Armagh attacks near the end as they clung onto a diminishing advantage against an opposition which had largely got its second wind from a string of substitutions.

Galway appeared to have most of the hard work done when they led by 1-12 to 0-8 after Sice pointed a free in the 49th minute. Their goal came earlier in the half when the influential Damien Comer got a well judged fist to Paul Conroy’s free which had dropped short and with substitute Danny Cummins also picking off a neat effort, the visitors quickly opened daylight between the teams after a tight enough opening half.

But Galway would not score again and they had to endure a fraught enough finale before surviving to set up a home qualifier against Derry this weekend. Jamie Clarke, Armagh’s most dangerous forward, had penalty claims correctly waved away by referee David Gough, who certainly didn’t do Galway any harm on the day with some decisions which frustrated the home crowd.

Yet, there was no doubting the better equipped team at the Athletic Grounds. Galway had hit the ground running with two Conroy pointed frees, while they subsequently picked off quality efforts from raiding defender Liam Silke, Peadar Og O Griofa, Comer and Sice to eke out an interval lead of 0-9 to 0-7, but it was the team’s lightening start to the second half which proved decisive in the end. That advantage of seven points proved a significant bridge even if the winners were understandably edgy in the closing moments given the county’s string of narrow qualifier defeats over the years.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.