The Armagh vs Galway football match that took place on 26 June 2022 at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, was the third quarter-final match of the 2022 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. Galway reached the stage with an undefeated record in the competition, having won the 2022 Connacht Senior Football Championship. Armagh reached this stage through the qualifiers. The game was administered by Meath officials led by Blackhall Gaels referee David Coldrick.
The game was noteworthy as the first knockout match in the All-Ireland SFC Series to be decided by penalties and the first game at Croke Park to be so decided. It also featured a brawl ahead of the extra-time period. Galway forward Damien Comer was filmed having his eyes gouged. Referee Coldrick controversially issued red cards to Seán Kelly and Aidan Nugent, even though replays suggested they were acting as peacemakers. Government members, including Taoiseach Micheál Martin, condemned the fighting. Charles Flanagan, the former Minister for Justice, asked for a Garda investigation to be conducted. Called as "chaotic and hair-raising" by RTÉ, it overshadowed and delayed the main game of the day, between "two A-listers from the 2010s", Kerry vs Mayo.
The game was televised nationally on RTÉ2 as part of The Sunday Game live programme, presented by Joanne Cantwell from the outdoor COVID-19 pandemic-proofed studio at Croke Park, with analysis from (positioned left to right onscreen) Colm Boyle, Oisín McConville and Pat Spillane. Match commentary was provided by Darragh Maloney, assisted by Éamonn Fitzmaurice. BBC Radio's coverage included Peter Canavan, Conleith Gilligan and Mark McHugh. Des Cahill presented the highlights programme on RTÉ2 that night, with analysis from Seán Cavanagh, Colm Cooper and Ciarán Whelan.
Pre-match
Galway won the 2022 Connacht Senior Football Championship, defeating Roscommon in the final. Donegal knocked Armagh out of the 2022 Ulster Senior Football Championship but gained their revenge by winning against the same team in the 2022 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship qualifier.
Armagh and Galway played each other for the fourth time in the championship and the first since 2015. Apart from the second meeting in 2013 (which took place at Pearse Stadium), all other games occurred at Croke Park. Galway won each of the previous three games. Those were: a 2001 Round 2 Qualifier (which ended Galway 0–13 Armagh 0–12), a 2013 Qualifier (which ended Galway 1–11 Armagh 0–9) and a 2015 Qualifier (which ended Galway 1–12 Armagh 0–12).
Armagh's 2002 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final-winning goalkeeper Benny Tierney had Armagh as the "marginal" favourite ahead of the game.
Most of the supporters who travelled to Dublin for the game were following Armagh.
Match
First half
Jemar Hall was named to start the game for Armagh but Andrew Murnin actually started it and Hall appeared later as a substitute. Armagh played towards the Hill 16 end in the first half. Galway were given a free immediately from the throw-in.
On Armagh's first venture forward, Aidan Nugent sent the ball wide. Damien Comer scored the opening point of the game, for Galway, after four minutes of play. Rian O'Neill levelled the game for Armagh in the seventh minute. Then Stefan Campbell put Armagh into the lead. Rory Grugan scored Armagh's third point, followed by a fourth from Nugent.
Matthew Tierney then scored Galway's second point of the game. And Robert Finnerty their third. Jarlath Óg Burns scored a fisted point for Armagh. Cillian McDaid scored Galway's fourth point of the game. Armagh then got a free, which Grugan converted, the game's first. Grugan followed it with a second free. Armagh player James Morgan pulled on the jersey of Galway forward Shane Walsh; Walsh converted the free to a score from his hands, leaving the game at Armagh 0–7 Galway 0–5. Then Walsh converted another free for Galway. Seán Kelly blocked an attempt on goal by Nugent. Tierney levelled the game by scoring for Galway after 34 minutes, the second time the two teams wre even on the scoreboard. Armagh goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty ran out the field with the ball. Tierney attempted a point but it dropped short.
