Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: JOYCE
BY PAUL KEANE
PADRAIC JOYCE said Galway have practiced penalties since last December – just in case.
Shane Walsh, Damien Comer, Rob Finnerty and Matthew Tierney all converted at the Davin End of Croke Park in a historic shootout.
Stefan Campbell blazed Armagh’s first kick high and wide, meaning that by the time it came to Conor Turbitt he had to score. The Clann Eireann ace whacked his shot off the post.
Joyce isn’t in favour of penos deciding a game but said they were practicing them all the same.
“We’ve been practicing them since December, since we started back training, because we knew the way things were going that something
was to Shane, Rob, Damien and Matt Tierney – and Kieran Molloy would have been our fifth taker – they were practicing them every night. They take a few most nights.”
Joyce admitted it would have been easy for Galway to feel down at that stage, to presume it just wasn’t their day.
“We had the game probably won three or four times and they kept coming back,” he added.
“So the lads had to show great character, great resilience after that.
Kieran Mcgeeney described it as a ‘cruel’ way to lose. “But then going to replays and stuff is not fair on the supporters either, especially at the minute when coming to Dublin is an expensive thing to do,” said the Armagh boss.
“But no, it’s not a great way to do it. It’s pure lottery. Like, Conor Turbitt, Stefan Campell, you’d put your house on them.
“It’s cruel on them, it’s tough on the boys in there and you’d
feel for them, you really do, but sport is a cruel mistress.”