Pádraic Joyce was thrilled that Galway simply found a way to defeat Derry 2-8 to 1-6 at Croke Park. Level at the interval, Damien Comer netted two goals after the restart as Galway earned a first All Ireland SFC Final appearance since 2001.

“There is a sign in the dressing room going out the door saying to find a way,” Joyce says.

“You have to find a way – whatever goes on. You are not always going to win a game by kicking 2-19 or 2-20, the most pleasing part is the lads did find a way.

“They eked it out, they put the shoulder to the wheel, worked really, really hard. They took the hits, they gave the hits, I think they completely snuffed Derry out.

“I think Derry are a brilliant side, they have had a fantastic year. Rory [Gallagher] has the lads in great shape.”

The fact that Galway eventually shrugged off Derry’s resistance pleased Joyce.

“It was great to win the game obviously, it started out very tight and very cagey,” Joyce reflected.

“In the first half you can try to get the lads ready for whatever scenarios you think, but we didn’t think it would be that defensive or slow.

“We were a little slow getting going ourselves, we were lacking energy. It was extremely humid out there, believe it or not, lads found it hard to get their second wind. We came in at half-time four-four.

“Just in the second half we said we would be a bit more brave, show a bit more energy going forward. In fairness we did, we tagged a few points on after half-time.”

Three Shane Walsh frees were followed by a Comer major which steered Galway six clear.

“The goal then was a crucial turning point by Damien,” Joyce added.

“He turned his man really, really well. It was a great ball in by John Daly, he turned and stuck it really, really well. From then on we were five or six points up with a cushion, it was easier to manage the game- the lads managed the game really well.

“They had been criticised before for the last couple of games for not managing them out right, but today they did – in fairness to them.”

Galway’s attitude and application which repeatedly forced turnovers during the game impressed Joyce.

“They did, it was great,” Joyce replied. “Semi-finals are for winning, it mightn’t be pretty at times. We have won it and we have a final to look forward to in two weeks time.

“We are going to enjoy tonight, we are going to enjoy the build up for the next two week.”

By Cian O’Connell

The players may be young, but the rivalry is as old as it comes. There is a historical resonance to the idea of Galway versus Mayo that permeates clashes between the teams at all levels, so much so that it can be the dominant theme even when the prize on offer is immense.

That was certainly the case last night at Dr. Hyde Park, when the traditional kingpins of Connacht football competed for the Tom Markham Cup – and for Galway manager Alan Glynn, forgetting about the rivalry and focusing instead on maximising the strengths of his own team, as well as negating Mayo’s strengths, was central to the victory.

“Today wasn’t a day for revenge on Mayo, that wasn’t even our thought process in our head” Glynn said after his team’s 0-15 to 0-9 victory in the 2022 Electric Ireland All-Ireland final.

“We went at it like it was a brand new game and a brand new team. Mayo had produced some excellent attacking football all year and we kept them to nine points, their lowest score all season. The one-on-one in the first two minutes, that was a massive save by Kyle (Gilmore)”.

Glynn spoke about his team’s excellent defensive work, particularly in the full back line where Ryan Flaherty, Vinny Gill and man of the match Tomás Farthing were in top form, but he singled out his goalkeeper as a key player, citing their ability to retain their own kickout as vital to the victory.

“It was the outfield players’ job to provide the space. We said ‘if you do that, Kyle will hit you’, and that’s exactly what happened. It’s very easy to point to a goalkeeper when kickouts don’t go your way, like the last six kickouts against Derry but maybe that’s the best thing that happened to us. It focused our minds and our outfield players knew they had to move and make space. He’s a class act”.

“We really should have got more scores off our own kickouts but what I’m most proud of was the tenacious defending. The blocks, the tackles, we were saying all year to the lads, it gives everyone a boost when we get a block, tackle, turnover and we have pace and space then to take advantage of that going the other way. It worked to a tee”.

After winning both games between the counties in the Connacht championship, Mayo manager Seán Deane dismissed the idea that nervousness was a factor in his team’s defeat, instead citing the difficulty in playing to the best of your ability consistently over a long season.

“I don’t think in any way, shape or form that it was nerves but I do think any team that goes through a championship season and plays eight games, you will get a dip somewhere along the line” said the Breaffy club man.

“Unfortunately, our dip came in an All-Ireland final whereas Galway’s dips came when they could recover from it. That was the difference. If we performed like this in Tuam or Castlebar, well things could be a little bit different” he said, ruefully.

By Kevin Egan

All-Ireland SFC quarter-final

GALWAY 2-21 ARMAGH 3-18 (AET) Galway win 4-1 on penalties

By Paul Keane at Croke Park

An All-Ireland SFC quarter-final encounter for the ages was decided in historic fashion, Galway digging so deep to overcome Armagh on penalties.

Successful spot kicks from Shane Walsh, Damien Comer, Robert Finnety and Matthew Tierney, compared to just one conversion from three Armagh attempts, ultimately secured victory for the Connacht champions.

But it was an encounter with more angles than the most complex of trigonometry lessons and it will take some time for both camps to get their heads around just what unfolded at Croke Park.

Galway should have sealed the deal, and a semi-final clash with Derry on July 9, within regular time as they were six points clear with 72 minutes on the clock.

But two stoppage time Armagh goals from Aidan Nugent and Conor Turbitt, and then a levelling point from Rian O’Neill in the 80th minute, forced extra-time at 2-14 to 1-17.

A melee as the players left the field resulted in straight red cards for Galway captain Sean Kelly and Armagh’s Nugent. It was Armagh’s second dismissal of the day as Greg McCabe was sent off in the 62nd minute.

There were more goals in extra-time, Rory Grugan punching in for Armagh and Cillian McDaid responding in kind, the Galway man then nailing a 91st minute point to tie the game up yet again and force penalties.

It was the first ever SFC game in the All-Ireland series, and the first at Croke Park, to be decided by penalties.

The tactical battles throughout were fascinating. Armagh chose to largely keep Nugent and O’Neill close to goal in a two man full-forward line. Former Galway U-20 star Jack Glynn picked up Nugent and captain Kelly tracked O’Neill.

Jason Duffy, wearing number 15, dropped out to play a deeper role while Stefan Campbell, nominally a half-forward, spent much of his time shoring up the Armagh midfield.

Walsh, fresh from tormenting Roscommon and shooting 1-6 in the Connacht final, had Crossmaglen’s James Morgan for company all afternoon while powerhouse Galway full-forward Comer was marked by Aidan Forker.

Armagh will probably look back on the opening half and wonder how exactly they only broke even at 0-7 apiece.

They led 0-4 to 0-1 after the opening quarter and were still three points to the good approaching the half hour mark, 0-7 to 0-4.

Galway anticipated that the Orchard would try to punish them with long, early deliveries into the danger area but knowing what was coming, and being able to prevent it from happening, are two different things entirely.

Galway were helpless, for example, when Nugent seized possession from a long kick pass up through the centre in the seventh minute and laid off to O’Neill to snipe Armagh’s opening point.

O’Neill was the provider with a 25-metre kick pass for Rory Grugan’s first point in the 11th minute, moving Armagh 0-3 to 0-1 ahead.

Armagh’s next score summed up what they are all about, goalkeeper Ethan Raffery driving a long, low kick-out straight up the centre to set Armagh on the attack. Two passes later, they had the ball over the bar and Nugent was wheeling away in satisfaction.

A Jarlath Og Burns score came from a similar strategy, Conor O’Neill this time booting long to O’Neill who fed the marauding half-back.

Galway were living off scraps at the other end and stayed just about in the game with points from Comer, Matthew Tierney, McDaid and Rob Finnerty.

But as they got to grips with Armagh and began to cut out the long deliveries, they started to impose themselves on the game.

Walsh and Dylan McHugh both won frees following fouls by Morgan which Walsh converted and when Tierney added another score just before the break, the sides were back on level terms.

It flattered Galway a little as they were largely restricted to shots from distance though with Comer and Walsh they possessed a clear and present danger at all times. Galway twice tested the waters with long, diagonal balls towards Comer. Neither paid off though Comer did fist just wide with the first opportunity, ensuring Armagh were always alive to the threat.

The second-half, for the most part, was all about Galway and their ability to get on top of Armagh and put themselves into a winning position.

Johnny Heaney’s 41st minute goal put the 2001 All-Ireland champions 1-8 to 0-8 ahead and a Walsh point shortly after opened up a significant four-point lead.

Armagh, more ragged now, found themselves under real pressure and with centre-back McCabe shown a straight red card for a huge hit on Tierney, Galway were able to open up a six-point lead.

It remained that way in the 72nd minute but when referee David Coldrick announced eight minutes of additional time, opportunity knocked for Armagh.

They took full advantage with goals from Nugent and substitute Turbitt making it a one-point game before Campbell won a free way out on the left wing and split the posts to send the game to extra-time at 1-17 to 2-14.

The drama continued with a goal for either side and ultimately the penalties. Truly historic stuff.

Galway scorers: Shane Walsh 0-6 (0-5f), Cillian McDaid 1-2, Robert Finnerty 0-4, Johnny Heaney 1-0, Damien Comer 0-3, Matthew Tierney 0-2, Patrick Kelly 0-1, Finnian O Laoi 0-1, Kieran Molloy 0-1, Paul Conroy 0-1.

Armagh scorers: Rory Grugan 1-3 (0-2f), Aidan Nugent 1-2 (0-1m), Conor Turbitt 1-1, Rian O’Neill 0-4 (0-3f), Stefan Campbell 0-3, Jarlath Og Burns 0-1, Conor O’Neill 0-1, Eoin Woods 0-1, Jemar Hall 0-1, Justin Kieran 0-1.

Galway: Conor Gleeson; Liam Silke, Sean Kelly, Jack Glynn; Dylan McHugh, John Daly, Kieran Molloy; Paul Conroy, Cillian McDaid; Patrick Kelly, Matthew Tierney, Johnny Heaney; Robert Finnerty, Damien Comer, Shane Walsh.

Subs: Finnian O Laoi for McDaid 49-54 blood, O Laoi for Tierney 62-69 blood, O Laoi for Patrick Kelly 69, Niall Daly for Finnerty 74, Owen Gallagher for Walsh 79. Billy Mannion for Sean Kelly (red card) e/t, Walsh for Gallagher e/t, Finnerty for Daly e/t. Gallagher for Heaney 83, James Foley for Silke 84.

Armagh: Ethan Rafferty; James Morgan, Aidan Forker, Aaron McKay; Stephen Sheridan, Greg McCabe, Jarlath Og Burns; Ben Crealey, Stefan Campbell; Conor O’Neill, Andrew Murnin, Jason Duffy; Aidan Nugent, Rian O’Neill, Rory Grugan.

Subs: Connaire Mackin for Sheridan 43, Conor Turbitt for Murnin 43, Ciaran Mackin for McKay 55, Eoin Woods for Duffy 68, Justin Kieran for Burns 68. Niall Rowland for McCabe (red card) e/t, Burns for Nugent (red card) e/t, Mark Shields for Forker 75, Jemar Hall for Grugan 83, Duffy for Crealey 85, Ciaran Higgins for McKay 90.

Referee: David Coldrick (Meath).