Pádraic Joyce’s Connacht champions were the superior team on virtually every metric bar the one that counted, the scoreboard. With 57 minutes on the clock, Galway were five up and cruising directly towards the All-Ireland quarter-finals. But then Armagh hit them in the solar plexus, shooting 1-3 in the space of four costly minutes between the 58th and 62nd minutes.
And, not for the first time against the Orchard County, ’keeper Connor Gleeson was the Galway player in the spotlight after his kick-out gaffe led to the Tiernan Kelly goal that transformed the mood music in Markievicz Park, in front of a crowd of 8,870. Conor Turbitt had just reduced the deficit to four with a free. Gleeson went mid-range from the resultant restart, but his low kick was intercepted by Turbitt, sparking immediate panic as he raced through on goal before offloading to Kelly.
He cut inside and buried the chance from point-blank range. Rian O’Neill struck next to level beyond the hour; then Gleeson’s next kickout to the wing was again pounced on by Kelly, who teed up Turbitt for a fisted point. Improbably, for the first time since shortly before the half-hour mark, Armagh led.
To their credit, Galway regrouped and actually regained the lead through a brace of Shane Walsh frees – one from close range, then a booming 44m kick in the 70th minute. That pushed them one up and back on course for the quarters. But Armagh, who needed just a draw to top the group on scoring difference, cleverly wor.
