Armagh 0-17

Mayo 0-17

Colm Gannon reports from BOX IT Athletic Grounds

For the first week of February, this encounter had the feeling of a full-blooded championship clash, with a packed-out Athletic Grounds enthralled right until the last moment of the game when Rían O’Neill slotted over the leveller deep into injury time. 

It looked for most of the second half that Mayo were going to head home with the points as they found themselves five clear with four minutes of normal time left after Colm Reape had come up and slotted over a long-range free. 

But Armagh weren’t done and they put the foot down over the remaining minutes of normal time and six minutes of injury time to reel in Mayo and claim a valuable point. 

The hosts went in leading by two points at half-time, making the most of the opportunities that came their way – moving the ball quickly from defence to attack after doing a good job of shutting down the Mayo attack and waiting patiently for the ball to come their way. 

O’Neill and Ryan O’Donoghue swapped early points, before Rory Grugan and Fionn McDonagh got in on the action. O’Neill and Andrew Murnin hit back-to-back points for Armagh to put them two clear, before O’Donoghue cut the gap back to one with 19 minutes gone on the clock. 

Over the next 15 minutes, Armagh outscored Mayo 0-4 to 0-1 with Conor Turbitt, O’Neill, Grugan, and Murnin all raising the white flag with an Aidan O’Shea mark in reply the only score for Mayo. 

The Westeners did finish the half strongly with Jordan Flynn pointing and Cillian O’Connor coming within a whisper of netting a goal when Ethan Rafferty was caught out of position, but his effort went over the bar and sent Armagh in leading 0-8 to 0-6 at the turnaround.  

Grugan stretched the lead out to three not long after the resumption before points from O’Shea and Carr got Mayo moving. Tiernan Kelly put Armagh two clear again on 40 minutes but the game was about to swing dramatically in Mayo’s favour. 

O’Donoghue hit a trio of frees in a five-point run that saw Matthew Ruane and Flynn also raise the white flag and Mayo had gone from two down to three up in 10 minutes. They went on to extend that lead out to five over the next 15 minutes and looked to be easing their way to victory.  

But Armagh weren’t giving up that easy. Grugan pointed a free to cut the gap to four, a minute later Turbitt had it back to a three-point game. The home crowd were on their feet and Mayo were under the pump.

O’Neill landed a free and then a 45 after a goal chance had been deflected past the post, and it was a one-point game with injury time slipping away. 

Armagh fashioned one last attack and were awarded a free. O’Neill made no mistake and it was a share of the spoils for both sides at the end of a thrilling encounter. 

Scores for Armagh: Rían O’Neill 0-6 (4f, 1 45), Rory Grugan 0-4 (2f), Andrew Murnin 0-3, Conor Turbitt 0-3, Tiernan Kelly 0-1.

Scorers for Mayo: Ryan O’Donoghue 0-7 (6f), Aidan O’Shea 0-2 (1m), Jordan Flynn 0-2, Cillian O’Connor 0-2, Matthew Ruane 0-1, Fionn McDonagh 0-1, Colm Reape 0-1 (1f), James Carr 0-1.  

Armagh

1. Ethan Rafferty (An Ghráinseach)

2. Araon McKay (Droiman Tí), 3. Aidan Forker (An Machaire), 4. Ross Finn (An Machaire) 

25. Paddy Burns (Naomh Muire), 6. Barry McCabridge (Clann Eireann), 7. Jarly Og Burns (Beal Atha an Airgid) 

19. Conaire Mackin (CLG Sheain Ui Neill), 9. Stefan Campbell (Clann na Gael)

20. Jemar Hall ( CLG Fhoirceala), 11. Rory Grugan (Baile Mhic an Aba), 12. Tiernan Kelly (Clann Eireann) 

13. Rían O’Neill (Raonaithe na Croise), 14. Andrew Murnin (Naomh Pól), 15. Conor Turbitt (Clann Eireann) 

Subs

17. Niall Grimley (Na Ropairi na Madain) for Finn

10. Callum Cumiskey (Raonaithe na Croise) for Mackin

26. Jason Duffy (Coilleach Eanach) for Hall

21. Ross McQuillian (Coilleach Eanach) for Kelly

Mayo

1. Colm Reape (Knockmore) 

2. David McBrien (Ballaghderen), 3. Rory Brickenden (Westport), 4. Jack Coyne (Ballyhaunis)

5. Stephen Coen (Hollymount-Carramore), 6. Conor Loftus (Crossmolina Deel Rovers), 7. Enda Hession (Garrymore)

8. Matthew Ruane (Breaffy), 18. Fionn McDonagh (Westport)

10. Jack Carney (Kilmeena), 11. Bob Tuohy (Castlebar Mitchels), 12. Jordan Flynn (Crossmolina Deel Rovers)

25. Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy), 14. James Carr (Ardagh), 15. Ryan O’Donoghue (Belmullet)

Subs

24. Cillian O’Connor (Ballintubber) for Carr (BS)

24. Cillian O’Connor (Ballintubber) for Carney

21. Eoghan McLaughlin (Westport) for McDonagh

19. Darren McHale (Knockmore) for Tuohy

23. Conor McStay (Ballina Stephenites) for Carr,

20. Donnach McHugh (Castlebar Mitchels) for O’Shea

Referee: Fergal Kelly (Longford)

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