Inside Track with John McIntyre

SOME of the biased post All-Ireland football commentary being articulated around Galway over the past ten days is doing a grave injustice to Armagh. You’d swear the Tribesmen had handed the Sam Maguire Cup to the new champions on a plate.

Sure, Galway spurned chances down the home stretch and will be kicking themselves for at least not forcing extra-time, but to claim that they threw away the match doesn’t really stack up. Ultimately, Armagh managed the game better and their scoring efficiency was superior as well. You can argue that the big-match pressures affected them less too.

In a final of such tight margins and blanket defending, the team that could come up with a goal was always going to be in the driving seat. Armagh defender Aaron McKay might have been well down the list in terms of potential goal-scorers, but his second-half finish from Stefan Campbell’s pass suddenly had Galway chasing their tails.

All summer, the Connacht champions had found the answers to survive close matches and, having edged stirring battles against Mayo, Dublin and Donegal, they would not have been lacking in belief or momentum heading to Croke Park last Sunday week. They also held their nerve against both Sligo and Westmeath, and if a draw in the All-Ireland round-robin series with Armagh was the only stain on their winning run, we consoled ourselves by surmising that Kieran McGeeney’s charges were extremely lucky at Markievicz Park.

And another factor in Galway’s favour was the experience gained from their honourable loss to Kerry in the All-Ireland Final of 2022. The overwhelming majority of neutrals expected them to win, and Galway supporters had convinced themselves that all the signs pointed to the ending of a 23-year Sam Maguire famine.

But a bit like Mayo in their final against Tyrone in 2021, Galway weren’t at their best in the team’s ultimate battle. They too had knocked out Dublin but results like that only cranked up expectation levels. The loss of Rob Finnerty so early was a grievous blow, while Shane Walsh’s free taking suffered a meltdown.

Pictured: Galway captain Ailbhe Davoren tries to shake off the attentions of Kerry’s Aoife Dillane during the All-Ireland Ladies Football Senior Final at Croke Park on Sunday. Photo: Seb Daly Sportsfile.