Armagh 1-12
Westmeath 1-7
ETHAN RAFFERTY WAS the hero as the 14-men of Armagh advanced to Round 3B of the qualifiers with a thrilling five-point victory over Westmeath in a massively physical encounter at Cusack Park in Mullingar.
Kieran McGeeney’s side had star player Jamie Clarke sensationally black carded inside two minutes and Crossmaglen teammate James Morgan was also shown the line in the 19th minute.
Armagh re-grouped and they led coming up to half-time but Paul Sharry goaled and it was 1-4 to 0-7 at the interval.
The drama continued in the second-half where Armagh substitute Gregory McCabe was sent-off and Westmeath got two black cards with Mark McCallon and John Egan going off.
But the best was left for last and Rafferty collected a Niall Grimley pass before finishing to the net in the 75th minute.
Westmeath took an early 0-2 to 0-0 lead with a pair of points from John Heslin but Armagh levelled through Stefan Campbell and then Gavin McParland.
Clarke got black when he allegedly hit Jamie Gonoud off the ball and then Morgan followed suit after a similar offence involving Sharry.
A couple of Rory Grugan efforts put Armagh in the ascendency approaching half-time and Stephen Sheridan gave them a four-point lead before the break.
But Mark McCallon and Frank Boyle were involved as Sharry finished to the net on the half-hour.
It was 1-4 to 0-7 at half-time and two brilliant Heslin points were answered by the efforts of Grugan and Aidan Forker.
McCabe was sent-off with 15 minutes remaining when he tangled with Sam Duncan. He was shown a black card after he received a yellow in the first-half.
McCallon and Egan both went in the 66th minute before Rafferty finished off the game.
Scorers for Armagh: E Rafferty 1-0, R Grugan 0-3 (0-2f), C McParland 0-2, O O’Neill 0-2, S Campbell 0-2, N Grimley 0-1 (0-1f), S Sheridan 0-1, A Forker 0-1.
Scorers for Westmeath: J Heslin 0-6 (0-4f), P Sharry 1-0, A Gaughan 0-1.
ARMAGH
1. Blaine Hughes (Carrickcruppen)
2. Aaron McKay (Dromintee)
3. Charlie Vernon (Armagh Harps)
4. Paul Hughes (Crossmaglen)
5. Aidan Forker (Maghery Sean MacDermotts)
6. Brendan Donaghy (Clonmore Robert Emmets)
7. James Morgan (Crossmaglen)
8. Stephen Sheridan (Forkhill)
9. Niall Grimley (Madden Raparees)
10. Ciaran O’Hanlon (Killeavy)
11. Anthony Duffy (Pearse Og)
12. Rory Grugan (Ballymacnab)
13. Jamie Clarke (Crossmaglen)
14. Andrew Murnin (St Paul’s Lurgan)
15. Gavin McParland (Ballymacnab).
Subs:
25. Stefan Campbell (Clan na Gael) for Clarke (2, black card)
18. Gregory McCabe (Sean O’Neill) for Morgan (20, black card)
23. Oisin O’Neill (Crossmaglen) for Duffy (44)
17. Mark Shields (Whitecross) for McKay (44)
20. Ciaran McKeever (Cullyhanna) for McParland (57)
22. Ethan Rafferty (St Colmcilles Grange) for O’Hanlon (64).
WESTMEATH
1. Darren Quinn (Tyrrellspass)
2. Mark McCallon (Garrycastle)
3. Kevin Maguire (Caulry)
4. Jamie Gonoud (Tyrrellspass)
7. James Dolan (Garrycastle)
6. Frank Boyle (Killucan)
5. David Lynch (St Malachys)
9. Ger Egan (Tyrrellspass)
12. Sam Duncan (Milltownpass)
10. John Egan (Athlone)
8. Paul Sharry (St Loman’s Mullingar)
13. Kelvin Reilly (St Loman’s Mullingar)
15. Killian Daly (Mullingar Shamrocks)
11. Kieran Martin (Maryland)
14. John Heslin (St Loman’s Mullingar).
Subs:
26. Tommy McDaniel (Ballinagore) for G Egan (28)
22. Callum McCormack (Maryland) for Martin (31, blood)
11. Martin for McCormack (34)
22. McCormack for Reilly (55)
20. Alan Stone (Castledaly) for Duncan (56)
18. Noel Mulligan (Athlone) for Lynch (60)
24. Alex Gardiner (Garrycastle) for McCallon (66, black card)
21. Alan Gaughan (Athlone) for J Egan (66, black card).
Referee: Padraig O’Sullivan (Kerry).
