Walsh’s Tribe will come close but Orchard have extra bite

THERE are better times to visit the Athletic Grounds in Armagh. And after the lifelessness which characterised the longest stretch of their defeat to Donegal in an Ulster quarter-final which was labelled to be epic, any team next setting foot in the home of Kieran McGeeney and his team should know what to expect. So Galway can expect more than a bite to tomorrow’s qualifier. And the only way they will get to stick around in this year’s Championship is if they bite back. Are Galway capable of doing that, however? That’s the biggest question in Kevin Walsh’s (right) head, surely, as he tidies things up in the last 24 hours before heading north. Every last man in Walsh’s dressing-room has to know that being young and having oodles of raw talent has, someday, to turn into a real physical and manly performance. Tomorrow is as good a time as any — especially in a ground where there will be no hiding places to begin with. Armagh will look to outmanoeuvre and bludgeon their opponents. If they don’t win then McGeeney’s first year will be put down as a distinct let-down. So, Galway have to stand up. They have the scoring power. A tidy total of 5-46 in their three games to date tells of a fleet-footed attacking force, but it’s in the middle where this game will be strong-armed and ultimately won. Damien Comer, more than anybody in maroon, showed that he is prepared to stand and fight this summer as well as fire home his share. The tough, young full forward has contributed 2-6 of the team’s total, but his interest in banging into Mayo opponents in the Connacht semi-final set an example for everybody else. More of the same and a dash of composure when the battle is at its fiercest, and Galway could be close enough to a massively nourishing win. But I’m still going for Armagh by the slimmest of margins.