The lottery of penalty kicks – the potential sliding doors moment on a heaven or hell season for Galway captain Seán Kelly.
When the Tribesmen and Armagh prepared for spot-kicks to decide their fate in the All-Ireland quarter-final, the Moycullen man couldn't put his hand up for manager Pádraic Joyce.
After a thrilling 70-plus minutes of action, the teams tore into each other heading down the tunnel before extra-time. When they reemerged, referee David Coldrick flashed red cards to Kelly and joint Armagh captain Aidan Nugent.
Both had appeared to be trying to keep the peace in the melee, and sportingly they shook hands as they prepared to watch the rest of the game helplessly from the sidelines.
When the kicks into the Davin End were concluded it was Kelly rather than Nugent left with the chance of redemption. Lose and his 2022 season would have been remembered for that red card [ultimately rescinded], but now on Sunday he has the chance to ascend the Hogan steps and become the first Galway captain to lift Sam since Gary Fahey in 2001.
Kelly, like Fahey, wore number three on his back. Kelly, like Fahey, won a Sigerson at NUIG – although it was UCG when Fahey’s side defeated Queen’s in the 1992 final. He’ll be hoping that the similarities between the pair are extended further against Kerry.
"They’re obviously a great side with some great players, we know it’s going to be a tough battle but we’ll try and focus on ourselves and hopefully get the result on the day," Kelly told RTÉ Sport.
The player’s previous All-Ireland final appearance ended in disappointment as Galway lost 2-13 to 2-07 to Dublin in the 2017 under-21 decider.
Gerry, not Gary, Fahey was in charge of that team and it spawned players like Kelly, Dylan McHugh, Kieran Molloy, Cillian McDaid and Rob Finnerty who all started this year’s All-Ireland semi-final win over Derry. Dessie Conneely came off the bench against the Oakleafers.
.@MartyM_RTE hears from Galway manager Padraic Joyce and captain Sean Kelly ahead of their All-Ireland football final clash with Kerry on Sunday #GAA pic.twitter.com/0BHFduBEC3
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) July 21, 2022
Galway were second best in Tullamore that day, as they were at the same venue two years earlier when Kelly and the Connacht champions were stunned by Tipperary in an All-Ireland Minor quarter-final. But they fought to the end against Dublin, and McDaid and substitute Colm Brennan plundered late goals as they kept battling to the full-time whistle.
For Kelly, those qualities have transferred to the senior set-up in 2022.
It also doesn't hurt that they beat favourites Kerry in the semi-final in that 2017 run, a Kingdom side that contained five of Kerry's back seven against Dublin - Shane Kelly, Tom O'Sullivan, Jason Foley, Brian Ó Beaglaíoch and Gavin White - along with Seán O'Shea and Killian Spillane further up the pitch. Oh, and Jack O'Connor was the manager.
"There’s been great fight in the team, a good spirit in the camp. It’s probably what’s needed to get over the line against tough opponents," Kelly said.
"We’ve shown that in a good few games - Armagh, Derry as well, and now we’re just looking forward to the next day."
"Since the semi-final we’ve tried to implement whatever system we’ll be playing," he continued.
"Also [we’ve] worked on the high ball after Armagh obviously. Hopefully now we have the confidence in the backline to deal with that."
Speaking of backlines, in January 2016 the Galway minors had a celebration dinner to collect their Connacht Championship medals. The Tuam Herald carried a photo of Kelly alongside John Daly, the pair standing side-by-side in their black tuxes.
Together they have provided the bedrock to the foundations that have allowed Galway to shun their soft underbelly tag. On Sunday night the pair will be back in their tuxes, win or lose. For Kelly, if it’s the former it would cap off a magical season that so nearly veered off track on that madcap day against Armagh.
The perfect ending awaits.
Follow the All-Ireland Football Championship final on Sunday, Galway v Kerry, from 2pm via our live blogs on rte.ie/sport or on the RTÉ News app. Watch live coverage on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player with live radio commentary on RTÉ Radio 1 and Spórt an Lae on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
Watch Up for the Match this Saturday from 9.45pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player
