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Yesterday Croke Park belonged to Armagh. After heartbreak in recent times during their Championship journey, not least the loss to Galway following the penalty shoot-out in 2022, it was their day and they deservedly emerged the winners of the 2024 Senior All Ireland Football final for the second time in their history.
It was a long 22 years in the waiting. In September 2022 many of the most vocal fans at Croke Park yesterday had never even been born. Yesterday was their day to celebrate and in fact this week no doubt. It was a special day for Armagh Manager Kieran McGeeney too. In 2002 he had been the Captain on the day, raising the Sam Maguire in the same spot and here he was managing the winning team.
In an evenly matched first half where both teams went in to the dressing rooms at 0-6 apiece it was easy to think of extra time and a replay but Armagh were having none of that and a goal by Aaron McKay in the 47th minute was the beginning of the end for Galway. It was Galway who had started the second half off with 2 unanswered points and the game flowed backward and forwards for a while but Galway never caught up after McKay's goal although it was a nerve wrecking final ten minutes with a full 6 minutes of extra time. In the 65th minute Armagh were a full 3 points ahead and Galway reduced that by 2 but couldn't manage the equaliser.
Ultimately Galway's accuracy throughout the game caught up with them with Armagh converting their chances much better. In the end an attempt for the equaliser well into injury time by Galway's Dylan McHugh hit the post and went the wrong way for them.
Armagh managed to hold on and almost got another point with their attempt also hitting the post, but it didn't matter. The whistle blew at a fitting point of the game when Jarlath Og Burns has possession in the same year his father Jarlath has possession of the GAA Presidential title. Final Score, Armagh 1-11 Galway 0-13.
In his presentation speech the GAA President dedicated the win to all the people involved in clubs, from the tea makers to the ground keepers to everyone in between. Armagh Captain Aidan Forker then became the first man in history to get presented the Sam Maguire by a fellow county man. Armagh Abu.
Armagh scorers
Oisín Conaty 0-3, Ben Crealey 0-2, Aaron McKay 1-0, Barry McCambridge, Tiernan Kelly, Aidan Forker, Niall Grimley, Rian O’Neill, and Oisín O’Neill 0-1 each.
Galway Scorers
Paul Conroy and Céin D’Arcy 0-3 each, Cillian McDaid and Shane Walsh (1f) 0-2, Liam Silke, John Maher, and Rob Finnerty (f) 0-1 each.
Teams
Armagh
Blaine Hughes; Barry McCambridge, Aidan Forker, Paddy Burns; Connaire Mackin, Tiernan Kelly, Aaron McKay; Niall Grimley, Ben Crealey; Rory Grugan, Rian O’Neill, Joe McElroy; Conor Turbitt, Andrew Murnin, Oisín Conaty.
Substitutes: Stefan Campbell for Turbitt (46), Ross McQuillan for Kelly (46), Oisín O’Neill for Grugan (51), Jarly Óg Burns for Mackin (59), Jason Duffy for Forker (70+5).
Galway
Connor Gleeson; Jack Glynn, Seán Fitzgerald, Johnny McGrath; Dylan McHugh, Liam Silke, Seán Ó Maoilchiaráin; Paul Conroy, John Maher; Matthew Tierney, Céin D’Arcy, Cillian McDaid; Rob Finnerty, Damien Comer, Shane Walsh.
Substitutes: Johnny Heaney for Finnerty (11), Seán Kelly for Glynn (45), Tomo Culhane for Comer (66), Daniel O’Flaherty for Tierney (66), Kieran Molloy for Heaney (70+5).
Referee: Sean Hurson (Tyrone).
