Armagh v Galway LIVE score updates from National Football League Division 1 tie
National Football League Division One: Armagh 0-20 Galway 3-12 Rob Finnerty snatched a remarkable win for Galway in a helter-skelter battle with familiar foes Armagh at the Box-It Athletic Grounds. Having conceded three goals in a three-point loss to Mayo last Sunday, the Tribesmen reaped the rewards of a hat-trick of goals from Rob Finnerty, Kieran Molloy and substitute Matthew Tierney. Armagh made one change from last Sunday’s rout of Monaghan with Ross McQuillan replacing Tomás McCormack in the defence while Mattius Barrett started at midfield for Galway at the expense of Cian Hernon. The Orchard men began as they finished against the Farney and were 0-4 to 0-1 ahead with early points from Ross McQuillan, Conor Turbitt, Fergal O’Brien and Oisin Conaty after Finnerty had opened the scoring. Fionn McDonagh hit a point before Galway took the lead with a rocket of a goal from Kieran Molloy as the sheer power of the goal gave Blaine Hughes little chance of making a save. Oisin had given Armagh the lead again before Ciaran Mulhearn was shown a black card for a third man tackle on Andrew Murnin. Galway were fortunate not to be reduced to 13 as the aforementioned Molloy picked up a booking rather than a black card for a late hit on Joe McElroy, who was forced off before half-time. Armagh hit three unanswered points via Jarly Óg Burns, Cian McConville and McQuillan. However, as McEloy made his way to the sideline to inform the Armagh management he was unable to continue, he stepped over the halfway line, leading to a three-up breach. Finnerty’s two-point attempt dropped short of the target and, with the imposing Fionn McDonagh doing just enough to distract Hughes with the ball ending up in the back of the Armagh net. A Cillian McDaid score had the Connacht champions a point to the good at the end of a breathless 35 minutes. The pace of the game was more sedate in the third quarter with Conaty hitting the equaliser nine minutes into the second half. Galway hit a run of four unanswered points as they took the lead once more before Burns fisted over his third point while Oisin O’Neil’s two-point free edged the hosts ahead. Indeed, back-to-back fisted points from Tiernan Kelly and Jason Duffy meant that Armagh scored seven on the night with the fist while Hughes was forced to make a stunning diving save to deny McDaid at the other end. Yet, he could do little to prevent Matthew Tierney from plundering a classy goal after a fine ball over the top from Man-of-the-Match Finnerty. Another O’Neill free resulted in the game being tied for a seventh time inside the final minute. The otherwise brilliant McQuillan was pulled for tackling Shane McGrath as the Galway substitute attempted a solo and go with Finnerty converting the free to break Armagh hearts at the death. After losing to Kieran McGeeney’s men in the 2024 All-Ireland final, Pádraic Joyce’s men have now won their last three meetings with the Orchard County. Just the tonic they needed ahead of a round three trip to Tralee. Armagh: B Hughes; J McElroy, G Murphy, P McGrane; R McQuillan 0-3, T Kelly 0-1, J Óg Burns 0-3; C O’Neill, A Murnin; F O’Brien 0-1, C Turbitt 0-1, G McCabe; C McConville 0-2 (0-1f), O O’Neill 0-6 (0-1f, 1tpf), O Conaty 0-2. Subs: T McCormack for McElroy (33), J Duffy 0-1 for Turbitt (60), E Rafferty for O’Brien (66). Galway: C Gleeson; J McGrath, S Fitzgerald, J Glynn; F Ó Laoí 0-1, D McHugh, K Molloy 1-0; S Kelly, M Barrett; L Silke, C Mulhern, D O’Flaherty; F McDonagh 0-1, R Finnerty 1-6 (0-2fs), O McDonagh. Subs: C McDaid 0-1 for O’Flaherty (28), M Tierney 1-0 for Molloy (28), S McGlinchey 0-1 for for Barrett (HT), S Walsh 0-1 for Mulhearn (53), S McGrath 0-1 for F McDonagh (60). Referee: B Cassidy (Derry).
