Monaghan and Armagh share the spoils

Monaghan 0-10 Armagh 0-10

Paul Finlay squeezed over a marvellous acute angle equaliser from a free to earn a replay for Monaghan in a thrilling Ulster SFC tie at Clones.

Armagh, powered by five Oisin McConville points, looked set for a place in the semi-finals, but from somewhere, the Farney men found a new gear to produce a riveting final 10 minutes, during which they came storming back from four points behind to hit five brilliant points.

After Malachy Mackin had opened the scoring with an Armagh point, Rory Woods levelled from a free, before Tommy Freeman applied an excellent finish.

Woods added another score, and a flowing move involving Woods, Tommy Freeman and Corey ended with wing back Damien Freeman firing over another score, Monaghan led by 0-4 to 0-1 with 18 minutes played.

That's when it turned. Armagh began to get Malachy Mackin on the ball in the central area, and four scores in the final six minutes of the half had them in front.

Oisin McConville hit three, two from frees, and when Enda McNulty and Ciaran McKeever pressed forward from the back with purpose, Ronan Clarke for once managed to get free of Coyle to find the target for a 0-5 to 0-4 interval lead.

For all Monaghan's endeavour and passion, they found themselves with some soul-searching to do at the break, having gone in trailing by 0-5 to 0-4

Steven McDonnell finished off a move involving Mackin and McConville, and soon added another point.

McConville's fourth score, his third from a free, opened out a 0-8 to 0-5 lead, and Monaghan were now struggling badly to rediscover the momentum they had displayed before the break.

Kieran McGeeney found himself in acres of space to thump over the score that made it 0-9 to 0-5.

But back came Monaghan, and the tireless Stephen Gollogly whipped over a point, followed by another from Clerkin, and while Armagh did counter for McConville to bring his tally to five.

But Farney substitute Hugh McElroy converted an acute angle free with his first touch, and in a breathtaking finish, Gollogly scored again, before Finlay sent a free sailing between the posts from close to the sideline.

Monaghan corner back Gary McQuaid, having picked up two yellow cards.

Monaghan: S Duffy, G McQuaid, J Coyle, C Flanagan, D Freeman (0-1), V Corey, D McArdle, E Lennon, D Clerkin (0-1), J McElroy, S Gollogly, P Finlay (0-2, 2 frees), T Freeman (0-1), R Ronaghan, R Woods (0-2, 1 free).

Subs: P McGuigan for McElroy, H McElroy (0-1, free) for Woods

Armagh: C McKinney, A Mallon, T McEntee, E McNulty, A Kernan, K McKeever, P Duffy, K McGeeney (0-1) P McGrane, P McKeever, B Mallon, M Mackin (0-1), S McDonnell (0-2), R Clarke (0-1), O McConville (0-5, 3 frees).

Subs: J P Donnelly for Duffy, J McEntee for Mackin

Referee: P Fox (Westmeath)

Wides: Armagh 10, Monaghan 11

Yellow cards: Armagh: E McNulty

Monaghan: D McArdle, G McQuaid (2)

Red cards: Gary McQuaid (Monaghan)

Attendance: 23,731