Roscommon 3-18 

Armagh 0-24

Kevin Egan reports from King & Moffatt Dr. Hyde Park

IT IS HARD to imagine that there will be a more consequential breach than the one that derailed the first of two Armagh comebacks in Dr. Hyde Park this afternoon.

In a game where the wind was a significant factor in the game, far more than the 6,317 supporters packed in under shelter on both sides of the ground might have realised, Roscommon’s 2-14 to 0-8 half-time lead was healthy, but not insurmountable. 

But Armagh’s efforts to overhaul that deficit were hurt when a goal early in the second half was disallowed for a breach in the build up, meaning what would have been a four-point gap was instead doubled to eight. 

By any measure, the Rossies were full value for that first-half lead. They had 2-3 on the board inside the first four minutes, with Diarmuid Murtagh and Enda Smith slotting in goals just 40 seconds apart, and in general they were dominant in the battle for primary possession and ruthless up front. Murtagh, Smith and Cregg ran riot up front, with Murtagh raising three orange flags, while around the middle third, Keith Doyle, Senan Lambe and Dylan Ruane were ferocious in the trenches.

But Armagh, not known for their two-point shooting, split the uprights from outside the arc twice in succession through Oisín O’Neill and Andrew Murnin and their supporters lifted the roof on the stand when Greg McCabe played in Ross McQuillan and the Cullyhanna man hammered the ball past Aaron Brady.

Then referee Niall Cullen spoke with his line official to confirm that there was a breach in the build up and instead of a 2-15 to 1-14 scoreline with 25 minutes to play, Diarmuid Murtagh’s 20m free made it 2-16 to 0-14, forcing Armagh to come again.

Come again they did, but slowly. A string of missed goal chances cost them dearly, and that looked fatal when Jack Duggan turned down an easy fisted point to float the ball over Blaine Hughes to the far post, where Paul Carey was waiting to slam in the third goal and extend the lead to nine points with less than ten minutes to play.

Roscommon needed every bit of that as Armagh turned the screw to finish with an 0-6 run, including further doubles from O’Neill and Cian McConville.

A goal would have got them something from the game and they had their chances. McConville missed a glorious chance early in the half while in that sensational finale, Greg McCabe and McQuillan fired the ball over the bar going for goal, Oisín O’Neill didn’t get enough power on an attempt to finish of a slick move with a palmed goal, and McQuillan pulled another effort across the goal instead of testing Aaron Brady.

For the second game in a row, Armagh come away with nothing from a game where they scored more often than their Connacht opponents, and left plenty more on the table as well. For the second game in a row, Roscommon have despatched Ulster opposition and taken a huge step towards retaining their Division One status, all with their St. Brigid’s players still due to come back into the fold.

Scorers for Roscommon: Diarmuid Murtagh 1-7 (1tpf, 2tp, 1f), Daire Cregg 0-6 (1tp, 2f), Enda Smith 1-2, Paul Carey 1-0, Robert Heneghan 0-1, Darragh Heneghan 0-1, Aaron Brady 0-1 (45).

Scorers for Armagh: Oisín O’Neill 0-7 (1f, 1tp, 1tpf), Cian McConville 0-5 (2f, 1tp), Ross McQuillan 0-3, Greg McCabe 0-3, Andrew Murnin 0-2 (tp), Callum O’Neill 0-1, Tiernan Kelly 0-1, Gareth Murphy 0-1, Tomás McCormack 0-1

ROSCOMMON

1 Aaron Brady (Elphin) 

2 Eoin McCormack (St. Dominic’s)

3 Caelim Keogh (Pádraig Pearses)

4 Niall Higgins (Elphin) 

6 Ronan Daly (Pádraig Pearses)

19 Eoin Ward (Fuerty)

7 Senan Lambe (Roscommon Gaels)

8 Keith Doyle (St. Dominic’s)

9 Conor Ryan (Pádraig Pearses)

10 Dylan Ruane (Michael Glaveys)

11 Enda Smith (Boyle)

12 Darragh Heneghan (Michael Glaveys)

22 Robert Heneghan (Michael Glaveys)

14 Daire Cregg (Boyle)

13 Diarmuid Murtagh (St. Faithleach’s)

Subs: Colm Neary (Strokestown) for McCormack (half-time), Paul Carey (Pádraig Pearses) for D Heneghan (47), Jack Duggan (Clonguish) for Ryan (51), Ciarán Lennon (Clann na nGael) for Murtagh (61), Eoin Colleran (Pádraig Pearses) for Ruane (66).

ARMAGH

1 Blaine Hughes (Carrickcruppen) 

24 Paddy Burns (Burren)

4 Peter McGrane (Ballyhagan)

3 Gareth Murphy (Killeavy)

6 Tiernan Kelly (Clann Éireann)

12 Greg McCabe (Camlough)

5 Ross McQuillan (Cullyhanna)

8 Callum O’Neill (Belleeks

9 Andrew Murnin (St. Paul’s)

15 Oisín Conaty (Tír na nÓg)

10 Fergal O’Brien (Mullaghbawn)

11 Conor Turbitt (Clann Éireann) 

13 Cian McConville (Crossmaglen Rangers)

14 Oisín O’Neill (Crossmaglen Rangers)

7 Jarly Óg Burns (Silverbridge)

Subs: Ben Crealey (Maghery) for O’Brien (28), Tomás McCormack (Annaghmore) for Burns (43), Jason Duffy (Cullyhanna) for Conaty (51), Darragh McMullan (Madden) for McGrane (51), Dan McCarthy (Clann Éireann) for Murnin (60).

Referee: Niall Cullen (Fermanagh).

Results