By Pádraic Ó Ciardha

NOT for the first time this year, the Galway footballers came through a squeaker as they overcame Donegal in Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final.

The victories against London and Derry have been the only two championship games so far that haven’t been decided before injury-time and while the stress that comes with that hasn’t been great for supporters, it’s been the making of this team according to their manager.

With a little over five minutes of normal-time left in Croke Park, Galway and Donegal were level for a 10th time but the Tribesmen’s past experience, both from this year and the 2022 campaign, was crucial in getting them over the line.

“I think we were a more battle-hardened team coming down the stretch,” said Galway manager Pádraic Joyce after the 1-14 to 0-15 win. “If you look at the games we played, Mayo in the Connacht final, the Sligo game we were in trouble in the semi-final but we found a way to win it, and then we’ve had Derry, Armagh, Westmeath, a tough game as well, and Dublin the last day.

“Donegal, their last two games, they’ve coasted through probably Clare and Louth easier than they would have liked. It showed again, even Armagh were the more battle-hardened team [against Kerry in the other semi-final] and they found a way to stick it out. I think that was probably the difference,” explained Joyce.

“I thought our lads were probably just a little bit more mature and probably further down the track than Donegal as a developing side.”

The fact that Galway got the job done without the likes of Shane Walsh and Damien Comer playing at their best and without captain Seán Kelly playing any part at all is testament to the road this team have travelled over the last couple of years. Joyce admitted that it was probably a lack of depth which cost Galway in the 2022 All-Ireland final loss to Kerry but things have progressed significantly since then.

“We had no choice but to develop [that depth] earlier in the year,” said Joyce in reference to an injury-ravaged league campaign where Galway still managed to maintain Division 1 status.

“I’ve seen first-hand what they’ve done since last November and the heartache during the year from injuries and lads getting hurt,” he said.

Pictured: Galway manager Pádraic Joyce pointing the way forward for his team during Sunday’s All-Ireland Senior Football semi-final win over Donegal at Croke Park. Photo: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfil.e