Galway 1-12

Armagh 0-9

Billy Coss reports from Pearse Stadium

A MATTHEW TIERNEY penalty before the break plus a spate of two-point scores midway through the second half saw Galway gain a modicum of revenge on Armagh in this evening’s National Football League Division 1 opener.

History was made on a cold, blustery and wet evening in Salthill as the Tribesmen played their first-ever competitive floodlit fixture at Pearse Stadium – a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland final won by Kieran McGeeney’s side.

It took the hosts time to come to grips with an Oisín Conaty-inspired Armagh, but once they turned around armed with a 1-4 to 0-5 interval lead, they weren’t for catching by an Armagh side that went nearly 25 minutes without a score.

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Galway pick up a victory on the opening night of the Allianz Football League.#AllianzLeagues Division 1 Result:@Galway_GAA 1-12@Armagh_GAA 0-09#GAANOW has the best of the game 👇 pic.twitter.com/DPsXr5HbkX

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Conaty picked up where he left off in Croke Park last July, sending over three of his side’s first-half points. Rory Grugan accounted for the other two as Armagh were value for a 0-5 to 0-1 lead on 17 minutes.

However, they would fail to trouble the scorekeepers for the remainder of the half while backed by a significant wind as Galway, whose corner-back Daniel O’Flaherty was their only scorer during the first quarter, grew into the contest.

The evening’s seminal moment arrived on 33 minutes when a swift break up field initiated by Finnian Ó Laoi and Sean Kelly ended with Cillian Ó Curraoin being felled in the square under a challenge from Armagh captain Aidan Forker.

Matthew Tierney drilled the resulting penalty low to the right corner for a 1-3 to 0-5 lead that the winners never relinquished. And with Ó Curraoin adding his third free of the half, it amounted to a major position of strength for the home side.

Tierney pushed Galway’s lead out to three after the restart before Armagh rallied with back-to-back scores from Conor Turbitt and Conaty’s fourth of the evening.

As Armagh scores dried up into the freshening wind, Padraic Joyce’s side took a vice-like grip with a run of two-pointers coming in the 52nd, 54th and 55th minute through Ó Curraoin, second-half substitute Shane Walsh and Footballer of the Year Paul Conroy to leave it 1-11 to 0-7.

Armagh’s woes were compounded on the hour mark when Niall Grimley picked up a straight red card following an off-the-ball incident with O’Flaherty.

Late pressure from the visitors yielded just two close-range frees from Rory Grugan with Finnian Ó Laoi Galway’s final scorer on a night when both sides had their first competitive fixture under the new rule enhancements.

Scorers for Galway: Cillian Ó Curraoin 0-5 (1 2pt score, 0-3 frees), Matthew Tierney 1-1 (1-0 pen, 1 free), Paul Conroy (2pt score), Shane Walsh (2pt free) 0-2 each; Finnian Ó Laoi and Daniel O’Flaherty 0-1 each.

Scorers for Armagh: Oisín Conaty 0-4, Rory Grugan 0-4 (3f), Conor Turbitt 0-1.

Galway

1. Connor Gleeson (Dunmore MacHales)

2. Johnny McGrath (Caherlistrane), 3. Sean Fitzgerald (Barna), 4. Daniel O’Flaherty (Salthill-Knocknacarra)

5. Dylan McHugh (Corofin), 6. John Daly (Mountbellew-Moylough), 7. Sean Kelly (captain, Maigh Cuilinn)

8. Paul Conroy (St. James’), 9. Cillian McDaid (Monivea-Abbey)

10. Cathal Sweeney (Salthill-Knocknacarra), 11. Finnian Ó Laoi (An Spidéal), 12. Céin D’Arcy (Ballyboden St. Enda’s)

13. Cillian Ó Curraoin (Micheál Breathnach), 14. Matthew Tierney (Oughterard), 15. Sam O’Neill (St. James’)

Substitutes:

25. Shane Walsh (Kilmacud Crokes) for Ó Laoi (temporary, 10-15)
25. Shane Walsh (Kilmacud Crokes) for McDaid (42)
21. John Maher (Salthill-Knocknacarra) for Tierney (45)
20. Liam Silke (Corofin) for O’Neill (54)
18. Kieran Molloy (Corofin) for Kelly (66)
26. Johnny Heaney (Killannin) for Ó Laoi (67)

Armagh

1. Blaine Hughes (Carrickcruppen)

2. Tomás McCormack (Annaghmore), 4. Aidan Forker (captain, Maghery), 3. Barry McCambridge (Clann Éireann)

5. Connaire Mackin (Shane O’Neill’s), 26. Shane McParlan (Clan na nGael), 7. Greg McCabe (Shane O’Neill’s)

8. Ben Crealey (Maghery), 9. Niall Grimley (Madden)

10. Oisin Conaty (Tír na nÓg), 11. Rory Grugan (Ballymacnab), 12. Darragh McMullan (Madden)

23. Jason Duffy (St. Patrick’s, Cullyhanna), 14. Andrew Murnin (St. Paul’s, Lurgan), 15. Stefan Campbell (Clan na nGael)

Substitutes:

18. Callum O’Neill (Belleek) for Crealey (temporary, 5-9)
21. Conor Turbitt (Clann Éireann) for McParlan (HT)
22. Ross McQuillan (St. Patrick’s, Cullyhanna) for Forker (38)
13. Cian McConville (Crossmaglen Rangers) for Duffy (49)
6. Jarly Óg Burns (Silverbridge) for McCormack (60)
16. Ethan Rafferty (Granemore) for Hughes (60)

Referee: Conor Lane (Cork)