Date Published: 04-Apr-2011

by Ciaran Tierney

If they are to go down, they are going down fighting. But there was enough spirit, determination, and sheer class in the Galway footballers’ shock Allianz NFL Division One victory over Armagh on Sunday to indicate that the Tribesmen might just salvage a campaign which looked sure to end in relegation.

Now, suddenly, they have a Division One lifeline. If they can beat Dublin at Pearse Stadium next Sunday (2.30pm), Monaghan fail to beat Mayo at home, and Armagh lose to All-Ireland champions Cork away from home, Galway will be playing top flight football next year. What a dramatic turnaround that would be after five straight defeats in the opening five games.

Nobody saw this one coming, even if there were glimpses of an improvement in the home defeat to Cork in the previous round. Galway were bottom of the table before the fixture at the Armagh Athletic Grounds and looked to be doomed when they trailed by 0-4 to no score after just six minutes.

The damage could have been even worse as a shot by full-forward Steven McDonnell came crashing back off Adrian Faherty’s crossbar. The few souls who made the long trip North must have felt a heavy defeat was on the cards but, instead, Tomas Ó Flatharta’s side turned on the style to outscore the Ulster men by 1-9 to 0-3 in the remainder of the first half.

They sorted out their defence, the towering Finian Hanley and Joe Bergin gradually took a hold in midfield, Gary Sice was sensational at wing back, while Padraic Joyce, Cormac Bane, and Paul Conroy kicked a succession of wonderful scores.

The return of veteran attacker Joyce, a late addition after Matthew Clancy tweaked a groin in the warm-up, clearly galvanised the men in maroon but, as Ó Flatharta was keen to point out, this was an excellent all-round team performance.

See full report – and Galway’s U21 Connacht Final triumph – in this week’s Connacht Sentinel.