Armagh pick up first league points

2005 champions Armagh nailed down their first points of this season's Allianz National League Division One as they beat a gallant Galway side by 3-14 to 2-07 at Crossmaglen.

After defeats by Kildare and Meath, Joe Kernan's men bounced back to keep their hopes of making the divisional play-offs alive. 

With Galway captain Padraig Joyce opting to play against the wind in the opening half, Armagh burst into a 2-01 to no score lead with little over 11 minutes on the clock.

Stephen Kernan made full use of a slick pass from Brian Mallon to net past Galway goalkeeper Brian Donoghue. Stephen McDonnell then slammed home a second when Donoghue was found guilty of hesitancy. John McEntee, who lined out alongside captain Paul McGrane in the Armagh midfield, added the game's first point and the hosts were cruising.

Galway had to wait until the 17th-minute before raising their first white flag. A run of three successive points from Derek Savage, Cormac Bane (free) and Michael Meehan (free) brought the Tribesmen into the proceedings before Kernan crept over a point on 23 minutes.

Oisín McConville, making his first league start after a spell out through injury, Paddy McKeever and McDonnell landed points. Meehan replied to leave Galway 0-04 to 2-05 behind, but a stunning goal from Savage just before the interval gave the visitors just a four-point gap to close for the second half.
Joyce laid the ball off for Savage to rip a great shot past Paul Hearty in the Armagh goal.

Tellingly, just when Galway needed a good start to the second half, Armagh got off to a flier on the restart. McConville was central to that - he kicked a point before setting up the advancing McGrane for his side's third goal.

Just moments later, Meehan cracked home Galway's second goal at the other end for 3-06 to 2-05. A Meehan point from play then pushed Galway to within three points of Kernan's side.

The elements were kinder to Armagh - the wind that Galway had expected to come to their aid in the closing stages dropped, and the home side scored eight unanswered points to romp to their maiden win.

McConville scored five of them - McGrane and McKeever (2 frees) grabbed the others. Paul Clancy kicked the last point for Galway in injury-time in a game that proved a big come-down for the Tribesmen from last weekend's Connacht FBD League final win.