Pádraic Joyce Press Conference
“Fantastic day for us. Semi-finals are for winning, as we know. Overall, I thought it was a brilliant game, both teams went at it. The first half was fantastic, 1-7 to 0-10 at half-time and Donegal kicked some fantastic points. Our lads worked the ball well inside. I just thought it was a brilliant game. You couldn’t take your eyes of it for a moment or make a mistake because you’d be punished. I was just happy to come out the right side at the end.
“It could have gone any way. I just thought that our lads were a little bit more mature. We’re probably just a little bit furhter down the tracks in our development than Donegal. Donegal have come an awful long way from where they were 12 months ago and it’s credit credit to Jim and the county board and the boys. But look, it was Galway’s day and we move on to the final in two weeks’ time.”
Jim McGuinness Press Conference
“Very disappointed. We felt we really had a chance of going through and going to the final. The story of ti will be that we converted five of 14 in the second half, having scored 10 of 14 in the first half. That’s probably the summary. We ran out of steam a wee bit coming down the stretch., I think Galway looked a wee bit more battle-hardened than us maybe. That experience of a couple of years ago was beneficial to them.
“Losing Eoghan Bán was a big moment in the game. He had made a brilliant incision and got fouled and we got the free kick. Those driving runs were missed as well coming down the stretch. It’s a game of very fine margins and in that second half, those couple of reasons are why we didn’t progress.”
Dylan McHugh was Man of the Match - and deservedly so. He scored two points himself and buzzed all over the place in a non-stop display. Here he is talking to RTE afterwards.
So we have our All-Ireland final. Armagh and Galway have never met in a decider - although they did win consecutive All-Irelands in 2001 and 2002. Some fortnight ahead for both counties. This was the score that got them over the line near the end.
The Saw Doctors are blaring out around Croke Park and rightly so. Donegal just couldn’t keep up their shooting accuracy - they only added a single point after the 48th minute. Galway saw it out with none of Shane Walsh, Damien Comer or Seán Kelly on the pitch, which is pretty incredible when you think about it.
FULL -TIME: GALWAY 1-14 DONEGAL 0-15
Galway are in the All-Ireland final!
75 mins: One last chance for Galway to extend their lead - Connor Gleeson comes up to kick a 45. It’s wide!. One more chance for Donegal! Galway 1-14 Donegal 0-15
74 mins: Peadar Mogan has been fantastic all year but he hasn’t got his mojo going all day and he pulls one last shot wide. Galway will surely see it out from here. Galway 1-14 Donegal 0-15
72 mins: Langan tries his luck from 40 metres out on the right but fir the first time all day, his accuracy fails him and that could be that. Donegal probably need a goal now. Galway 1-14 Donegal 0-15
70 mins: That could be the winner for Galway! Liam Silke with his second of the day from the top of the D. The Galway crowd go bananas! Four minutes of additional time for Donegal to save themselves. Galway 1-14 Donegal 0-15
67 mins: CHANCE! Paul Conroy’s shot drops down off the post and Comer slaps at it but doesn’t make a strong connection and Donegal survive. But their scores have dried up now - at the other end, Daire Ó Baoill pulls his effort across goal. They won’t get too many more chances to equalise. Galway 1-13 Donegal 0-15
65 mins: A real stroke of bad luck for Donegal there. Ciarán Thompson slips as he tries to collect the ball and ends up touching it on the ground. Finnerty converts and Galway have a precious one-point lead heading into the endgame. Galway 1-13 Donegal 0-15
62 mins: Ouch. That’s a bad miss from Dylan McHugh, off balance right in front of the posts. And things get worse for Galway as Shane Walsh’s race is run. He jogs to the bench, replaced by Daniel O’Flaherty. Gallen misses a kickable free at the other end. Everyone is tightening up with the line in sight. Galway 1-12 Donegal 0-15
61 mins: What a game Michael Langan is having. That’s his fourth point from play, a boomer from out beyond the 45. Level game again, nine minutes plus stoppage time to go. Galway 1-12 Donegal 0-15
59 mins: John Maher ends the messing by bursting through and fisting Galway into lead again. McGrearty and McGee are off for Donegal. The benches are going to be huge now. Galway 1-12 Donegal 0-14
58 mins: The shooting is getting a little tired now. Gallen drops one short for Donegal, Comer thinks he has one for Galway but is denied by Hawkeye. Ciaran Moore pulls one left at the other end. We’re almost 10 minutes without a score here and mistakes are creeping in. Galway 1-11 Donegal 0-14
54 mins: Actually, they’re all taking a bit of a breather now and Donegal are passing it around with no huge purpose. Won’t last long, presumably. Galway 1-11 Donegal 0-14
52 mins: The tension. Galway 1-11 Donegal 0-14
48 mins: This time it’s Donegal who find an instant reply, with McBrearty converting free from just right of the D. That’s their first score from a free all day. Eoghan Bán Gallagher was injured in the middle of that and has been replaced by Jeaic Mac Ceallbhuí. Galway 1-11 Donegal 0-14
45 mins: That’s the score of the day from Galway, moving the ball around at pace to find a way through the Donegal cover and Liam Silke finishing it off from in front of the post. Excellent football. Galway 1-10 Donegal 0-12
43 mins: Another attack for Donegal, another shot, another score. McBrearty does the needful this time and they inch ahead once more. But once again, Galway reply within a minute, Dylan McHugh skating in to fist the equaliser. Galway 1-10 Donegal 0-13
41 mins: And another. This time it’s Shane O’Donnell, sending a fine effort sailing over with his left from the left. But Cillian McDaid hits back with an equally towering response and we’re level again. This is turning into a cracker. Galway 1-9 Donegal 0-12
38 mins: Another brilliant response from Donegal with Oisin Gallen landing his third from play while falling to his knees. Thier shooting accuracy has been top-notch so far. Galway 1-8 Donegal 0-11
36 mins: First chance of the second half falls to Shane Walsh, a free after Damien Comer was fouled. It’s 35 metres out on an angle to the left and he makes no mistake. Galway 1-8 Donegal 0-10
Both teams are back out. No changes.
HALF-TIME: Galway 1-7 Donegal 0-10.
A really enjoyable game, with both sides having worked each other out but not quite able to hold each other at the same time. Donegal will probably be the happier side - but for a poxy goal, Galway wouldn’t have as much on the board. But then again, Donegal had their best spell after the goal went in so maybe it kicked them into gear? One way or the other, it’s set up for a brilliant second half. See you after I get my tea.
35 mins: Ah, that’s a class score from Langan. That’s his third point of the day and the best of the lot, curling in from the right. Galway 1-7 Donegal 0-10
34 min: And there it is. Conroy find his range eventually, stopping the rot for Pádraic Joyce’s team. Nothing between these sides. Well, there’s a point between them now but you know what I mean. Galway 1-7 Donegal 0-9
31 mins: And they’re level! Michael Langan has squared it up with a lovely kick from 40 metres under pressure. Suddenly it’s Galway who need a score. Galway 1-6 Donegal 0-9
30 mins: And Donegal get the next one as well, Gallen turning back onto his left foot and stroking over from 30 metres out. This has been an excellent response to the goal. Galway 1-6 Donegal 0-8
27 mins: Big score for Donegal. Ciarán Thompson takes a mark 40 metres out on an angle and the Galway fans on the Hill smell blood. But Thompson is unruffled and raises the white flag. The Donegal crowd loved that. Galway 1-6 Donegal 0-7
26 mins: The scores are coming thick and fast now. Paddy McBrearty comes up with a fine response for Donegal with a towering point into the Hill 16 end. But Finnerty replies with a smoothly-taken free into the Davin Stand and Galway restore their goal lead. Galway 1-6 Donegal 0-6
24 mins: GOAL FOR GALWAY! Out of absolutely nothing too. Paul Conroy’s shot for a point dropped well short of Shaun Patton’s goal and should have posed no issue for the Donegal keeper. But Matthew Tierney ran across his eyeline and the ball hopped into the net without being touched. A killer goal to concede. Galway 1-5 Donegal 0-5
20 mins: A rare pot at the posts from Donegal centre-back Caolán McGonagle but he’s very sure-footed with it. Put away by Patrick McBrearty, he puts them ahead once more. Five points, five different scorers. But Galway hit back straight away - Shane Walsh’s deflected effort drops over the bar and we’re level again. Donegal 0-5 Galway 0-5
14 mins: And now Donegal are ahead for the first time - Oisin Gallen turned Liam Silke this way and that before gently lobbing a lovely score. But it doesn’t last even a minute! Rob Finnerty replies in kind at the other end - he is giving Caolán McColgan a bit of a runaround here. Galway 0-4 Donegal 0-4
12 mins: Ciarán Thompson has started very well and it’s his point that brings DOnegal back to within a point. A fine effort it was too, splitting the posts left-footed from 35 metres. And when Donegal win the resultant kick-out, Langan makes up for his earlier miss by curling one in from the left. Level game. Galway 0-3 Donegal 0-3
11 mins: Shane Walsh is off the mark, popping over a free from a central position after John Maher was fouled. Galway 0-3 Donegal 0-1
9 mins: Donegal are on the board. Shane O’Donnell whips over theit opening score after good work by Ciarán Thompson. Galway 0-2 Donegal 0-1
8 mins: Rob Finnerty ends the squanderfest by fisting over from 20 metres out after being put through by John Maher. Galway 0-2 Donegal 0-0
7 mins: Both sides are a little shaky in front of goal early on here. Oisin Gallen dropped a fisted effort short and Michael Langan has just had Hawkeye tell him his first range-finder has missed on the near side. At the other end, Paul Conroy didn’t quite curl his effort enough and Seán Mulkerrin turned down a perfectly kickable score. Galway 0-1 Donegal 0-0
3 mins: First score of the day and it’s Dylan McHugh for Galway. Rob Finnerty’s shot was blocked and spilled to McHugh 35 metres on and he made no mistake. Galway 0-1 Donegal 0-0
Match-ups. Brendan McCole has taken up Damien Comer from the off. Eoghan Bán Gallagher has Shane Walsh in his sights.
Brendan Cawley throws the ball up and we’re away!
Anthem time.
The big screen has a film tribute to John O’Mahony before the anthems. The Galway players are standing in a V formation for it. Huge applause around the ground as it finishes. RIP Johnno.
Lovely touch there - Jim McGuinness and Pádraic Joyce share a hug on the sideline as the parade makes its way around. This must be a mad feeling for such old friends to find themselves in the middle of one of the biggest occasions in the sporting year.
AC/DC is booming from the Croke Park speakers as the players start to head for the parade. Ten minutes to throw-in. Thunder! Na-na-nana-naa-naa! Thunder!
Tomo Culhane has just gone down hurt in the course of the Galway warm-up. He’s back on his feet but not exactly moving fluidly. They could do without that - Culhane came in for Shane Walsh at the end of the Dublin game.
Those feel like significant changes, in fairness. Seán Kelly was probably always going to struggle after only lasting 20 minutes the last day. But Jason McGee’s return is a huge boost for Donegal. If they have their first-choice midfield fit and firing, that’s massive. Revised teams, then...
GALWAY: Connor Gleeson; Johnny McGrath, Seán Fitzgerald, Jack Glynn; Dylan McHugh, Liam Silke, Séan Mulkerrin; Paul Conroy, Cein Darcy; Matthew Tierney, John Maher, Cillian McDaid; Robert Finnerty, Damien Comer, Shane Walsh. Subs: Conor Flaherty, John Daly, Eoghan Kelly, Daniel Ó Flaherty, Kieran Molloy, Cathal Sweeney, Seán Kelly, Johnny Heaney, Liam Ó Conghaile, Tomo Culhane, Niall Daly.
DONEGAL: Shaun Patton; Ciaran Moore, Brendan McCole, Eoghan Bán Gallagher; Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Peadar Mogan; Jason McGee, Michael Langan; Ciarán Thompson, Shane O’Donnell, Caolán McColgan; Patrick McBrearty, Oisin Gallen, Aaron Doherty. Subs: Gavin Mulreany, Jeaic Mac Ceallbhuí, Stephen McMenamin, Odhran Doherty, Luke McGlynn, Mark Curran, Niall O’Donnell, Hugh McFadden, Jamie Brennan, Dara Ó Baoill, Charles McGuinness.
Word of changes on both teams is reaching the press box. Jason McGee, Caolán McColgan and Aaron Doherty are in for Jeaic Mac Ceallbhuí, Daire Ó Baoill and Niall O’Donnell on the Donegal team. And for Galway, Cein Darcy comes in for Seán Kelly.
The crowds are gathering the stadium here. The sun has been blazing on Dublin’s northside all morning and judging by the hordes around Drumcondra on the way in, we could be in for a crowd of well over 60,000 here. Throw-in is 40 minutes away.
Did you know that Jim McGuinness and Padraic Joyce are good friends and shared some glory days in college together? Allow Gordon Manning to explain...
Before we get onto today’s action, last night was thrilling and saw Armagh beat Kerry after extra-time to make their first All-Ireland final since 2003. Here’s Malachy Clerkin’s report from Croke Park.
[ Armagh make first All-Ireland final since 2003 after thrilling win over KerryOpens in new window ]
And then there were three... After yesterday’s suitably thrilling All-Ireland semi-final finished with Armagh still standing, today we will find out who will join them in the final on July 28th. Will it be Jim McGuinness’ Donegal or Padraic Joyce’s Galway?
Let’s have a look at Seán Moran’s match preview for some insight...
Donegal v Galway, Croke Park, Sunday, 4.0pm - Live on RTÉ2 and BBC Two NI
Emotion presumably ran high in Galway after the untimely death of All-Ireland winning manager John O’Mahony but he would not have wanted it to disrupt Pádraic Joyce’s preparations. They are already fraught enough from juggling the injury problems although to judge from the team sheet none of the afflicted are ruled out apart from impressive replacement back Cian Hernon.
Donegal arrive as Ulster champions and having smoothly disposed of Louth in the quarter-final although 0-18 was the biggest concession of any of the semi-finalists and representative of their season to date.
Jim McGuinness’s team have built their season on a good defence – with the exception of the outlier trip to Cork where they got riddled with three – they have not conceded a goal in the championship.
Brendan McCole runs a tight ship from full back and they are hard to penetrate. Their fast-breaking attacks have been super-productive, bringing impressive shooting and a range of scorers.
Ryan McHugh is back to his best as both a playmaker and counter-attacker, whereas Peadar Mogan has been a standout supplier of scores from defence and inveterate accumulator of Man of the Match awards.
Challenges here include the quality of Galway’s defence from the tight-marking corner backs, Johnny McGrath to the fore, to wing backs who know how and when to counter-attack.
Then there is the physicality of the Connacht champions’ centrefield and half forwards: Paul Conroy, Matthew Tierney, John Maher, who tamed Brian Fenton the last day, and Cillian McDaid, looking back to his phenomenal best, are significant presences.
“Their whole half-forward line is 6ft 4ins, they’re big boys, like,” mused an impressed Kieran McGeeney after Armagh’s draw with Galway.
Practically this allows Connor Gleeson to hit his restarts as long as he wants, knowing the contest is more likely to favour his team.
Jason McGee is named in the Donegal panel after injury, and McGuinness could really do with him for this although he will surely have a plan to deal with such a structural disadvantage.
There is the suspicion that not all of the Galway injuries could have cleared up so conveniently. Shane Walsh again finished a match, the quarter- final, looking hobbled but his manager has apparently bullet-proof faith in his various knocks to recover.
Damien Comer wasn’t at his best against Dublin but raised his game in the latter stages but Rob Finnerty is a worry as his precise shooting is an important part of the team’s productivity.
If there is a concern for Joyce it is the poverty of the first half against Dublin and how close they came to being beaten by half-time – saved largely by Walsh’s preternatural marksmanship. Should they start sluggishly here they are in danger of being run off their feet.
Galway also have a tendency to produce their best stuff under pressure, retrieving both the Connacht final and All-Ireland quarter-final late in the day. They may need a better tempo and urgency for this.
Verdict: Galway
GALWAY: Connor Gleeson; Johnny McGrath, Seán Fitzgerald, Jack Glynn; Dylan McHugh, Liam Silke, Séan Mulkerrin; Paul Conroy, Sean Kelly; Matthew Tierney, John Maher, Cillian McDaid; Robert Finnerty, Damien Comer, Shane Walsh. Subs: Conor Flaherty, John Daly, Eoghan Kelly, Daniel Ó Flaherty, Kieran Molloy, Cathal Sweeney, Cein Darcy, Johnny Heaney, Liam Ó Conghaile, Tomo Culhane, Niall Daly.
DONEGAL: Shaun Patton; Ciaran Moore, Brendan McCole, Eoghan Bán Gallagher; Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Peadar Mogan; Ciaran Thompson, Michael Langan; Jeaic MacCeallbhuí, Shane O’Donnell, Daire Ó Baoill; Patrick McBrearty, Oisin Gallen, Niall O Donnell. Subs: Gavin Mulreany, Caolan McColgan, Stephen McMenamin, Odhran Doherty, Luke McGlynn, Mark Curran, Jason McGee, Hugh McFadden, Jamie Brennan, Aaron Doherty, Cathal MacAonghása.
