Rian O'Neill, Armagh, and Padraig McGrogan, Derry, in All-Ireland SFC action. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
All-Ireland SFC Group Four
Armagh 2-21 Derry 2-17
By Steve Malone at BOX-IT Athletic Grounds
Armagh held back a courageous Derry fightback to hold-out for a vital win over Paddy Tally’s side.
The defending All-Ireland champions had confidently marched into a 13-point lead with second half goals from Barry McCambridge and Conor Turbitt and they looked home and hosed, but Derry had other ideas as late goals from Conor Glass and Dan Higgins them back in the frame.
However, Ethan Rafferty pulled off four outstanding saves to deny Derry.
The loudest pre-match cheer came when Rian O’Neill’s name was read out as the team was announced over the PA system.
The pressure to win the opening game was cranked up following Dublin’s narrow win over Galway, last weekend, which in itself indicates just how tight this Group Four will be.
Armagh were boosted with the return of Crossmaglen’s Rian O’Neill who made his first return in the Orchard jersey since last year’s All-Ireland win. Although it came at a cost as Orchard captain Aidan Forker was ruled out with injury. Derry’s young hotshot Anton Tohill was a late change, getting the nod from manager Paddy Tally ahead of Niall Loughlin.
Derry were content to be only trailing by three points with having the breeze behind them in the second half, even though it should have been only a two-point margin, but young Tohill blasted wide from 10 metres out.
Armagh looked in control in the opening 10 minutes as they raced into a 0-05 to 0-01 lead. Conor Glass fisted over to open the scoring, but Armagh hit back with Rory Grugan, Andy Murnin and Oisin Conaty lashing over three points in as many minutes. Then last year’s Young Player of the Year Conaty swung over the first two-pointer of the game,
It wasn’t all one-way traffic as Ben Crealey pulled off a timely block as Ethan Doherty was about to pull the trigger, while at the other end Glass robbed the ball from Crealey’s toe as he lined up a potential two-pointer.
Paul Cassidy grabbed his first of three first half points and Ruairi Forbes tagged on another before two points within two minutes from Rian O’Neill, which produced a loud cheer and Ross McQuillan, which clipped off the inside of the far post.
Armagh suffered a blow when Oisin O’Neill gingerly walked off but his replacement Conor Turbitt stroked over a two-pointer to give Armagh a 0-9 to 0-3 lead with 16 minutes gone.
It was frantic football as Glass and Grugan traded scores and Dara McMullan’s two-point effort was denied by Derry keeper Ben McKinless, making his first championship start since 2018. A brace of points from Cassidy closed the gap and sparked a fine mini-comeback from the Oak Leafers.
Glass, Ethan Doherty and the first from Shane McGuigan were on target to make it a three-point game at the break (0-12 to 0-9).
However, Armagh came flying out of the blocks with four points in three minutes to go seven points ahead before Derry managed to get their hands on the ball.
McQuillan grabbed his second with Armagh’s first attack of the half, then fisted points from Jason Duffy and the impressive Jarly Og Burns followed before Murnin extended the Orchard lead.
McCambridge’s goal came on 39 minutes after he got a fist to Murnin’s delivery and while McGuigan’s two-pointer lifted Derry’s spirits Conor Turbitt grabbed Armagh’s second goal with a tidy finish, with Patrick McGurk hanging onto him. Conaty and McQuillan kept the scoreboard ticking over as Armagh could be forgiving for thinking about Dublin in Croke Park but they almost paid the price.
The bench that has got Armagh over the line so many times didn’t have the same effect and Derry found holes with Brendan Rogers forcing saves from Ethan Rafferty.
However, Conor Glass’ beautiful daisy-cutter couldn’t have been any tighter into the bottom corner of Rafferty’s net as the game entered the final 10 minutes. Substitute Dan Higgins rattled the Armagh net for Derry’s second goal and all of the sudden the Oak Leafers smelt blood.
It was a chaotic finale to an entertaining contest, although Paddy Burns provided a cool head and Joe McElroy supplied an important point for Kieran McGeeney’s men.
With time almost up, Derry kicked a few wides and Rafferty denied Ethan Doherty again and the Orchard held on for crucial win. Next Sunday’s clash between Dublin and Armagh in Croke Park should be interesting, while Derry welcome Galway to Celtic Park.
Scorers for Armagh: Conor Turbitt 1-2 (1 tp), Ross McQuillan and Oisín Conaty (1 tp) 0-4 each, Barry McCambridge 1-0, Andrew Murnin and Rory Grugan (2fs) 0-3 each, Joe McElroy, Jason Duffy, Rian O'Neill, Jarly Óg Burns, and Darragh McMullan 0-1 each.
Scorers for Derry: Conor Glass 1-3, Paul Cassidy and Shane McGuigan (1tp, 1tpf) 0-5 each, Dan Higgins 1-0, Ruairí Forbes, Ethan Doherty, Niall Toner (f), and Padraig McGrogan (45) 0-1 each.
Armagh: Ethan Rafferty, Paddy Burns, Barry McCambridge, Peter McGrane, Ross McQuillan, Rian O’Neill, Jarly Og Burns, Jason Duffy, Ben Crealy, Darragh McMullan, Rory Grugan, Oisin Conaty, Tiernan Kelly, Andrew Murnin, Oisin O’Neill.
Subs: Conor Turbitt for O O’Neill (12’), Stefan Campbell for J Duffy (51’), Niall Grimley for R O’Neill (55’), Joe McElroy for R Grugan (60’), Greg McCabe for McQuillan (62’),
Derry: Ben McKinless, Patrick McGurk, Eoin McEvoy, Diarmuid Baker, Ruairi Forbes, Brendan Rogers, Padraig McGrogan, Conor Glass, Conor Doherty, Ciaran McFaul, Paul Cassidy, Ethan Doherty, Anton Tohill, Shane McGuigan, Niall Toner.
Subs: Dan Higgins for A Tohill (38’), Ryan Mulholland for P McGurk (54’), Caolan Devlin for McFaul (59’), Tommy Rogers for N Toner (62’), Danny McDermott for P McGrogan (65’),
Referee: Sean Hurson (Tyrone).
