JOE BROLLY: An angry Kieran McGeeney

THE glamorous brunette was on the Late Late Show GAA special on Friday night. The Sam Maguire was in the middle of the foyer. She said everyone was walking up to it, touching it, getting photos. Then the Dingle boys came in and walked straight past it as if it wasn’t there.

Every game I watch now I keep thinking “They’ll never beat Kerry anyway.” Also, I find myself comparing every footballer to David Clifford, which is like comparing Donald Trump to Superman.

The Athletic Grounds is the best stadium for football in Ireland. It has a special charisma, an excitement that is matchless. I have never seen a bad game there and this was no exception.

Armagh tore into the game and when they went 0-4 to 0-1 up after ten minutes, the camera zoomed in on Kieran McGeeney and the RTÉ commentator said: “Kieran McGeeney will be very happy so far.” Which reminded me of the Belfast comedian Mae McFetridge’s line, “his brain should tell his face.”

Later, when Galway went on a surge and came level, the camera focussed on Kieran again and the commentator said: “Kieran McGeeney isn’t so happy now.” How could he tell?

In the 23rd minute, Barry Cassidy gave a black card to a Galway man for a body check. Thirty seconds later, Galway’s Kieran Molloy deliberately body checked an opponent, right in front of Barry. It was a crucial moment. Molloy stood there, resigned to his fate, but he needn’t have worried. Barry could be heard saying on his referee’s mic, “it was very close to a black card. If you had been a second later it was a black. I’m going to give you a yellow.”

The Armagh players remonstrated, but remonstrations are pointless. Once, in a Derry Championship match, Oney O’Neill from Dungiven awarded a point to Bellaghy which was at least two metres wide. The Lavey men surrounded him and Seamus Downey said: “Jesus Oney it was wide, everybody knows it was wide. The umpires waved it wide.” Oney said: “Seamus, buy the Irish News tomorrow and you’ll see if it was wide.”

In the first half, Armagh must have thought they were in an episode of The Twilight Zone. Having played very well, they went in a point behind, the two Galway goals reminiscent of the sort of goals scored against Mayo in an All-Ireland final.

The first fluke came in the 13th minute when Kieran Molloy kicked the ball straight at the Armagh keeper and he fumbled it into his own net. The second in the 31st minute was even worse. A high ball was launched hopefully towards the Armagh square and it bounced straight into the Armagh net. Galway couldn’t believe their luck.

Armagh could feel something weird in the air. They simply could not shake off Galway, even though they continued to look the better team. Mostly, this was down to the fact that they kept fisting the ball over the bar (six times) when they were through on goal.

Even one of those goals would have won them the game. At least four of them were good goal chances. A dummy, change of direction, pause and it was on. As it was this continued abdication of responsibility kept Galway in a game they should have been out of.

Partly, it was down to the fact that someone forgot to tell Armagh that Rob Finnerty is left footed. By the 50th minute, the score was Armagh 0-14 Galway 2-6.

Then, Galway won three Armagh kick-outs in a row and Rob Finnerty kicked three lovely left-footed points to put them a point up. In a simply electrifying atmosphere, Armagh surged back, and equalised in the 69th minute with a superb long-range Oisin O’Neill free.

With 30 seconds remaining, Barry awarded a free in to Galway which they did not deserve, the Galway man took the tap and go, the Armagh defender did not drop off the required four metres.

Barry advanced the free 50 metres to the 14 and with his left foot (Kieran McGeeney take note), Rob Finnerty scored the winner.

It was a terrific game, but Kerry will beat the pick of them come June. Kieran McGeeney was angry afterwards. Note to world: Kieran McGeeney is always angry.