AS HE HAS all season, Kieran McGeeney summed it up at the end.
“I’d take playing shit and winning every time,” he said of a slug-fest that went to the very final play of extra-time.
Armagh won. Armagh also played horrendous stuff at time. This is true. It is also true that they played some heroic stuff in facing all of extra-time with just 14 men.
And it is true again, that they played things smart, attacking the Tyrone kickout when the less courageous option, with less men on the field, would have been to drop lower.
As it turned out, it was left to goalkeeper Niall Morgan to salvage the game and bring it to penalties after substitute Lorcan McGarrity’s late effort was forced wide by the fingertips of Jarly Óg Burns.
Morgan has had an eventful season, seemingly dropped for the first time since he arrived into the team in 2013. But restored here, he made some big plays.
Ultimately, contesting an Armagh kickout aimed at Jason Duffy and winning that break, cost him when his legs went into cramp.
The body keeps the score. Morgan’s effort tailed wide to the right hand side. From the next kickout, a scramble on the deck ended with Armagh hands on the ball. A foul was called by referee Noel Mooney and Oisin O’Neill booted the ball over the stand.
Sin é.
Kieran McGeeney with young Armagh fans. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO
Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
Only the partisans in Tyrone were giving them much of a chance after a division 2 league campaign that never got off the ground. Sager observers felt that as the big day loomed, there would be no need for the form book.
Despite that, they fell 0-6 to 0-1 back after the first quarter. Tyrone also lost their most exciting forward Darragh Canavan and their captain Brian Kennedy to injury in the first half. They nailed just four of their 16 chances and yet they still went in at the break just 0-8 to 0-4 behind.
Instead, with kickout options diminishing, Conn Kilpatrick chose his moment to have his finest second half in a Tyrone jersey. Up to the 59th minute, Armagh had just one score from Conor Turbitt while Tyrone ate up the lead, meagre as it was on a scoreline that was somewhat of a throwback.
Even at that, Oisin O’Neill’s introduction brought four points, the only two-pointer of normal time to set that five minute scoring spurt in motion and go three ahead of Tyrone with six minutes left.
Armagh’s Darragh McMullen was sent off on 67 minutes in what looked like an extremely soft offence, a black card to go with his earlier yellow.
This gave Tyrone a numerical advantage once the ball crossed the halfway line. A minute later, they made it pay with a foray into the heart of the Armagh defence and Niall Devlin had the presence of mind to play to Ben McDonnell who rifled a shot to the net to level it.
Both teams had possessions to kill off the game, but it went to extra-time.
The game really caught fire with a point from Ross McQuillan followed by a goal by Tomas McCormack after a smashing bit of interplay with Oisin O’Neill. Yet it was wiped out almost immediately by two-point scores from Michael McKernan and Kilpatrick.
A Mattie Donnelly point from play gifted Tyrone the lead, before two O’Neill frees wrestled it back for Armagh.
A spectacular point from play from Eoin McElholm once again brought it level, but the last word was with Conor Turbitt.
Sort of, Armagh also survived a goal chance that McElholm flashed across the face of goal, and that late deadball effort from Morgan.
Someday, they will make things easier for themselves. Some day.
Scorers for Armagh: Oisin O’Neill 0-6 ( 0-3f, 1x 2tp free), Callum O’Neill 0-3 (0-2f), Tomas McCormack 1-0, Ross McQuillan 0-2, Conor Turbitt 0-2, Blaine Hughes 0-1 (1 x ‘45’), Darragh McMullen, Cian McConville 0-1 each.
Scorers for Tyrone: Conn Kilpatrick 0-4 (1x tp), Mattie Donnelly 0-3, Ben McDonnell 1-0, Micheal McKernan 0-3 (1 tp), Ethan Jordan 0-2 (0-1f), Peter Teague, Ciaran Daly, Seanie O’Donnell, Eoin McElholm 0-1 each.
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14-man Armagh survive stern Tyrone test to prevail in the final minute of extra time
Armagh 1-17 (1-1-15)
Tyrone 1-16 (1-2-12)
AS HE HAS all season, Kieran McGeeney summed it up at the end.
“I’d take playing shit and winning every time,” he said of a slug-fest that went to the very final play of extra-time.
Armagh won. Armagh also played horrendous stuff at time. This is true. It is also true that they played some heroic stuff in facing all of extra-time with just 14 men.
And it is true again, that they played things smart, attacking the Tyrone kickout when the less courageous option, with less men on the field, would have been to drop lower.
As it turned out, it was left to goalkeeper Niall Morgan to salvage the game and bring it to penalties after substitute Lorcan McGarrity’s late effort was forced wide by the fingertips of Jarly Óg Burns.
Morgan has had an eventful season, seemingly dropped for the first time since he arrived into the team in 2013. But restored here, he made some big plays.
Ultimately, contesting an Armagh kickout aimed at Jason Duffy and winning that break, cost him when his legs went into cramp.
The body keeps the score. Morgan’s effort tailed wide to the right hand side. From the next kickout, a scramble on the deck ended with Armagh hands on the ball. A foul was called by referee Noel Mooney and Oisin O’Neill booted the ball over the stand.
Sin é.
Only the partisans in Tyrone were giving them much of a chance after a division 2 league campaign that never got off the ground. Sager observers felt that as the big day loomed, there would be no need for the form book.
Despite that, they fell 0-6 to 0-1 back after the first quarter. Tyrone also lost their most exciting forward Darragh Canavan and their captain Brian Kennedy to injury in the first half. They nailed just four of their 16 chances and yet they still went in at the break just 0-8 to 0-4 behind.
Instead, with kickout options diminishing, Conn Kilpatrick chose his moment to have his finest second half in a Tyrone jersey. Up to the 59th minute, Armagh had just one score from Conor Turbitt while Tyrone ate up the lead, meagre as it was on a scoreline that was somewhat of a throwback.
Even at that, Oisin O’Neill’s introduction brought four points, the only two-pointer of normal time to set that five minute scoring spurt in motion and go three ahead of Tyrone with six minutes left.
Armagh’s Darragh McMullen was sent off on 67 minutes in what looked like an extremely soft offence, a black card to go with his earlier yellow.
This gave Tyrone a numerical advantage once the ball crossed the halfway line. A minute later, they made it pay with a foray into the heart of the Armagh defence and Niall Devlin had the presence of mind to play to Ben McDonnell who rifled a shot to the net to level it.
Both teams had possessions to kill off the game, but it went to extra-time.
The game really caught fire with a point from Ross McQuillan followed by a goal by Tomas McCormack after a smashing bit of interplay with Oisin O’Neill. Yet it was wiped out almost immediately by two-point scores from Michael McKernan and Kilpatrick.
A Mattie Donnelly point from play gifted Tyrone the lead, before two O’Neill frees wrestled it back for Armagh.
A spectacular point from play from Eoin McElholm once again brought it level, but the last word was with Conor Turbitt.
Sort of, Armagh also survived a goal chance that McElholm flashed across the face of goal, and that late deadball effort from Morgan.
Someday, they will make things easier for themselves. Some day.
Scorers for Armagh: Oisin O’Neill 0-6 ( 0-3f, 1x 2tp free), Callum O’Neill 0-3 (0-2f), Tomas McCormack 1-0, Ross McQuillan 0-2, Conor Turbitt 0-2, Blaine Hughes 0-1 (1 x ‘45’), Darragh McMullen, Cian McConville 0-1 each.
Scorers for Tyrone: Conn Kilpatrick 0-4 (1x tp), Mattie Donnelly 0-3, Ben McDonnell 1-0, Micheal McKernan 0-3 (1 tp), Ethan Jordan 0-2 (0-1f), Peter Teague, Ciaran Daly, Seanie O’Donnell, Eoin McElholm 0-1 each.
Armagh
1. Blaine Hughes (Carrickcruppin)
2. Peter McGrane (Ballyhegan) 3. Aaron McKay (Dromintee) 6. Gareth Murphy (Killeavey)
5. Ross McQuillan (Cullyhanna) 8. Tiernan Kelly (Clann Eireann) 7. Jarly Óg Burns (Silverbridge)
20. Callum O’Neill (Belleeks) 9. Ben Crealey (Maghery)
10. Greg McCabe (Camlough) 11. Darragh McMullen (Madden) 12. Tomas McCormack (Annaghmore)
13. Cian McConville (Crossmaglen) 14. Jason Duffy (Cullyhanna) 15. Oisin Conaty (Tír nan Óg)
Subs:
22. Conor Turbitt (Clann Éireann) for McCormack (43m)
23. Oisin O’Neill (Crossmaglen) for McConville (50m)
18. Joe McElroy (Armagh Harps) for McQuillan (56m)
25. Rory Grugan (Ballymacnab) for Burns (61m -64m) then Callum O’Neill (65m)
4. Paddy Burns (Burren), Cian McConville, Tomas McCormack and Ross McQuillan all on for the start of ET, in place of Grugan, Crealey, Duffy, McElroy.
McElroy for Conaty (ET HT)
Duffy for McCabe (ET 17m)
Tyrone
1. Niall Morgan (Edendork)
2. Cormac Quinn (Errigal Ciaran) 3. Peter Teague (Dromore) 4. Niall Devlin (Coalisland)
10. Seanie O’Donnell (Trillick) 6. Joey Clarke (Donaghmore) 7. Michael McKernan (Coalisland)
8. Brian Kennedy (Derrylaughan) 9. Conn Kilpatrick (Edendork)
23. Ciaran Daly (Trillick) 11. Ronan Cassidy (Donaghmore) 12. Ben McDonnell (Errigal Ciaran)
13. Darren McCurry (Edendork) 26. Ethan Jordan (Eglish) 15. Darragh Canavan (Errigal Ciaran)
Subs:
14. Mattie Donnelly (Trillick) for Canavan (20m)
20. Kieran McGeary (Pomeroy) for Kennedy (27m)
25. Eoin McElholm (Loughmacrory) for McCurry (49m)
24. Lorcan McGarrity (Carrickmore) for Jordan (57m)
5. Ciaran Bogue (Clogher) for Cassidy (65m)
22. Aodhan Donaghy (Loughmacrory) for Daly (ET 3m)
19. Ben Cullen (Edendork) for McGeary (ET 8m)
18. Aidan Clarke (Omagh) for Quinn (ET 15m)
Referee: Noel Mooney (Cavan)
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Armagh Tyrone Ulster Championship