This afternoon's All-Ireland final between Galway and Armagh may have been decided by the narrowest of margins, but it always seemed as though only one side was going to win the match as we entered the closing stages.
Kieran McGeeney's side may have had trouble seeing out games in the past, although there was a sense that they would get the job done on this occasion. They were the more efficient team throughout, making the most of their scoring opportunities and defending brilliantly out of possession.
From a Galway perspective, this will very much be a case of an opportunity missed. They squandered some golden chances to keep the scoreboard ticking over, most notably in the second half. Shane Walsh had a particularly poor day on front of goal, missing a number of opportunities from dead balls.
In the end, few could argue with the final result.
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Canavan Sums Up Harsh Reality Of Galway All-Ireland Final Defeat
This marks a second All-Ireland final defeat in three years for Galway, who also came up short against Kerry back in 2022.
The loss against Armagh will certainly sting a bit more, especially when you consider the manner in which they failed to fire up front in this game.
Speaking on RTÉ after the final whistle, Peter Canavan summed up the harsh reality of Galway's failure to perform to their best in this fixture.
You can say that Galway hit the post and all the rest, but there was no luck attached to that victory.
I thought Armagh were the better team. When they got the lead, okay maybe they didn't kick on. But talk about a well organised defence.
You can say that Galway had a very bad wides and a few that went short, but the organisation and setup in their defence. We've said that they only conceded one goal in the last six games, Galway never looked like scoring a goal.
For every score Galway got, they had to work really hard. There was no luck involved, the better team won on the day.
From a Galway point of view, very disappointed. Up front they lacked composure when they needed it most. Their main man up front had an off day in front of goals, not that he wasn't trying, but it was like Clifford last year in that a lot of shots didn't come off for him.
You have to congratulate Armagh. What an achievement to come from where they have and for Kieran McGeeney to lead them to this title is fantastic.
Galway will no doubt be in All-Ireland contention once again in 2025, although it will take them some time to get over this defeat.
The road back to Croke Park next July will be a long one.
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