Galway hit Armagh for late equaliser at Athletic Grounds

Armagh 1-15 Galway 1-15

Armagh surely used up their ration of drama and controversy for the remainder of this year in this absorbing shoot-out against Galway at the Athletic Grounds on Sunday.

Two dismissals, a towering man of the match show from the imposing Stefan Campbell who landed 1-9 and the concession of an equalising goal in the seventh minute of injury-time left the orchard county stunned at the finish - and Galway elated.

Campbell’s seven first-half points had helped hoist his side into a 0-13 to 0-6 interval lead and when he converted a 59th minute penalty to thrust them ahead at 1-14 to 0-10 they appeared destined for a canter down the home straight.

But the earlier loss of Ethan Rafferty to a second yellow card and Galway's robust resilience was to transform the tapestry of the last quarter.

Shane Walsh, Paul Conroy and Danny Cummins landed points that offered the Tribesmen a lifeline before substitutes Sean Denvir and Cummins pulled the game out of the fire.

Denvir’s speculative lob was cleverly flicked to the net by Cummins to perhaps hasten Armagh’s journey to Division Three on a day that initially promised real hope but ultimately provided only heartbreak.

Armagh: P Morrison; S Connell, C Vernon, S Heffron; M Shields, B Donaghy 0-1, J McElroy; R Grugan, E Rafferty 0-1; S Campbell 1-9 (1-0 pen), M McKenna 0-1, A Forker; C Watters 0-2, C O'Hanlon, G McParland 0-1. Subs: A Findon for McParland (40), T Kernan for Watters (58), C McKeever for Grugan (68), J Hall for McKenna (70). Yellow cards: Rafferty (11), Grugan (30), Connell (31), Vernon (35). Cards: Red cards: Rafferty (39), Forker (72).

Galway: M Breathnach; D Wynne, D Kyne, C Sweeney; L Silke 0-1, G O'Donnell, J Heaney; F O Currain, P Conroy 0-2; T Flynn. E Hoare 0-4 (2f), G Sice 0-1 (f); S Walsh 0-4 (1'45'), A Varley 0-1, D Comer 0-1. Subs: S Denvir for Varley (48), D Cummins 1-1 for Wynn (48), E Brannagan for Sice (63). Yellow cards: Varley (31), Sweeney (51), Cummins (73).

Referee: Sean Hurson (Tyrone