The two-decade-long wait for Sam Maguire has ended for Armagh in the All Ireland Football Final.
The Orchard County have reclaimed the cup by a point on a score line of 1-11 to 0-13 points.
Ciaran McGeeney coached his home county to their first All Ireland in 22 years, also winning it with them as a player in 2002.
Aaron McKay scored the only goal of the game in the 46th minute after only coming on as a substitute.
Galway came back within one point near the end but could not get the final point to draw level.
A clearly emotional Jarlath Burns gave a rousing speech from the Hogan Stand.
He handed over Sam Maguire to his own county’s captain Aidan Forker and also congratulated his son, Jarly Óg.
Up to conceding the goal, Galway lost seven leads but didn’t go behind until that 47th minute when Stefan Campbell made an instant impact off the bench, squaring a hand-pass for Aaron McKay to palm to the net.
It gave Armagh a two-point cushion having found themselves two points behind in the opening minutes of the second half. As the game opened up, Rian O’Neill and Shane Walsh, after iffy first halves, announced themselves. O’Neill’s beauty in the 41st minute was followed by a gorgeous Walsh effort in the next minute.
Walsh, with a free, cancelled out a Tiernan Kelly point just before McKay’s goal. Cein Darcy’s third point of the game cut the difference to two but Armagh stretched their lead to three with a terrific Niall Grimley point and then an Oisín O’Neill strike.
GAA Senior All-Ireland Football Championship Final, Croke Park, Dublin. Armagh vs Galway. Galway’s John Maher. Photo Credit@ Bryan Keane.
Galway, despite their erratic shooting, were within a point in the penultimate of normal time as Matthew Tierney and Cillian McDaid hit their range. However, there were no further scores. Walsh’s long-range free dropped short and McHugh’s outside-of-the-boot attempt struck the post and went wide.
The teams were level five times in the first half and finished 0-6 apiece, Galway going ahead the same amount of times and being pulled back each time. It was a largely forgettable period only memorable for the shot-taking of midfielders Paul Conroy and Ben Crealey who each stepped up with a brace and perhaps the welfare of a lame seagull who laboured around the field.
Galway’s scores were largely the product of deliberate build-up play, while Armagh’s came as either returning fire or in flashes. Céin Darcy’s 20th minute point was an exception as Galway put together a slick move having won a free from a kick-out.
Five minutes afterwards, Armagh captain Aidan Forker resurrected an attack that appeared to be running out of gas with a smashing point to bring his men level once more.
Maher and McCambridge exchanged points and after another beautiful Conroy effort Crealey equalled it in the final minute of additional time.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
