Throughout this dramatic Championship season, Galway’s senior footballers have given other teams their head, allowing them strong leads, but having the character and the characters to come back from the dead.
On Sunday, that good fortune deserted them and they ran out of road against a Meath team who were not going to surrender to the Tribesmen’s sucker punches.
Afterwards manager Padraic Joyce said he could not put a finger on the form this summer, in particular the slow starts in all games that they survived until this one.
He said they had no excuses and that the players were devastated at being knocked out of the Championship at this stage, especially in a year with such an open field.
“There are many good teams left in the Championship, but our job was to beat Meath and we couldn’t do that,” he said, paying tribute to the Royals for showing the character they did.
In response to questions about the future of the management team, he said that right after being knocked out of the Championship was not the time to be making rash decisions or issuing statements.
He said such discussions will come with the County Board in the fullness of time.
But there is a sense that this squad with its electrifying forwards had the goods to win at least one All-Ireland title and that come next year, it could look significantly different. Several key players will also be making a decision on their futures.
In an ultimately thrilling quarter-final at Croke Park, a sensational performance from Jordan Morris, who racked up 1-6 from play, powered Meath to another upset—this time over Galway, the 2024 All-Ireland finalists. It was their third triumph over Division 1 opposition this season, following landmark wins against Dublin and Kerry.
This latest shock sealed Meath’s place in a first All-Ireland semi-final since 2009. The man of the moment, Morris, stepped up when it mattered most, delivering a match-winning burst down the stretch.
Galway had appeared to seize control, turning a six-point deficit into a three-point lead with quickfire goals from Cillian McDaid and Liam Silke in the 56th and 60th minutes. But in a dramatic conclusion that left the Connacht champions stunned, Meath mounted a fearless late rally.
Morris bagged 1-2 in the final eight minutes, including a clinical 62nd-minute goal that swung the momentum decisively. From there, Meath never let go.
Heroes emerged all across the pitch for the underdogs. Matthew Costello contributed four vital points, while substitute Conor Gray netted and played a calming role late on. Sean Rafferty anchored a defiant defensive effort, keeping Galway at bay during crucial moments.
For Galway, this defeat marks a bitter end to their campaign. After falling short in both the 2022 and 2024 finals, hopes of going one step further in 2025 came crashing down.
This was the first Championship meeting between the sides since 2011, and both teams were tentative early on. The opening score didn’t come until the eighth minute, when Peter Cooke set up Shane Walsh—who defied a shoulder injury to start—for Galway’s first point.
The first 20 minutes were scrappy, with both sides guilty of errors and misfired chances. Costello, a late addition to the Meath starting lineup after missing the Kerry game, spilled a simple catch early on, while Morris and Duke both missed scoring opportunities.
Late lineup changes also featured for Galway, with Cooke, goalkeeper Connor Gleeson, and Jack Glynn all coming in.
Galway played a more patient, possession-based game, often probing until space opened near the Hill 16 end. They capitalized through clever movements, including a well-timed back-door cut that allowed Matthew Tierney to fist over a point in the 29th minute.
But Meath, when direct, looked more dangerous. Morris left Johnny McGrath in his dust with a blistering score in the 23rd minute, while veteran Donal Keogan rolled back the years with a slick spin-and-score.
Despite that momentum, Galway closed the half strongly with points from Tierney, Sean Kelly, and John Maher, nudging them ahead 0-7 to 0-6 at the break. They also had the wind at their backs for the second half.
Yet it was Meath who started brighter. Costello tapped over a free after a foul on Duke, and the Leinster side twice broke from turnovers to create chances—though both went unconverted. Still, Costello soon found his range again to edge them in front.
By the 54th minute, Meath had built a commanding 1-12 to 0-9 lead. Morris and Costello added scores before another Galway turnover led to Gray’s goal—bundled in after a nervy moment, but worth three points all the same.
Galway, though, weren’t done. In a devastating five-minute burst, they reeled off 2-3 without reply. McDaid’s and Silke’s goals were expertly finished, and Walsh added a two-point free to push Galway 2-12 to 1-12 ahead.
Meath looked finished—but dug deep once again. With Morris leading the charge, they surged back. His goal in the 62nd minute was a moment of magic, and the points that followed sealed a famous one-point win.
Scorers:
Meath:?Jordan Morris 1-6, Matthew Costello 0-4 (0-1f ), Conor Gray 1-0, Sean Coffey, Bryan Menton, Ruairi Kinsella, Donal Keogan, Eoghan Frayne, Cathal Hickey 0-1 each.
Galway:?Shane Walsh 0-5 (1 two-point free, 1 regular ), Cillian McDaid 1-0, Liam Silke 1-0, Rob Finnerty 0-3 (0-2f ), Matthew Thompson 0-2, Matthew Tierney 0-2, Sean Kelly, John Maher, Damien Comer 0-1 each.
Teams:
Meath:?Billy Hogan; Seamus Lavin, Sean Rafferty, Ronan Ryan; Donal Keogan, Sean Coffey, Ciaran Caulfield; Bryan Menton, Adam O’Neill; Conor Duke, Ruairi Kinsella, Matthew Costello; Jordan Morris, Keith Curtis, Eoghan Frayne.?Subs: Cathal Hickey for Curtis (42 ), Brian O’Halloran for Lavin (46–49, blood ), Conor Gray for O’Neill (46 ), O’Halloran for Rafferty (55 ), Rafferty for Lavin (61 ), Eoin Harkin for Duke (64, blood ), Cian McBride for Menton (68 ).
Galway:?Connor Gleeson; Sean Fitzgerald, Johnny McGrath, Jack Glynn; Dylan McHugh, Liam Silke, Cian Hernon; Peter Cooke, John Maher; Cein Darcy, Matthew Tierney, Sean Kelly; Rob Finnerty, Shane Walsh, Matthew Thompson.?Subs: Paul Conroy for Hernon (42 ), Cillian McDaid for Cooke (44 ), Daniel O’Flaherty for McHugh (51 ), Damien Comer for Tierney (51 ), Kieran Molloy for Kelly (64 ).
Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan )
