Monaghan edge Armagh in extra time

Monaghan 0-13 Armagh 0-12 (aet)

Even without the suspended Tommy Freeman, Monaghan managed to shoot down the challenge of Armagh in a thrilling All-Ireland SFC Qualifier at Clones.

They needed extra-time to get the better of the Orchard men, with Paul Finlay and Conor McManus hitting the late scores that revived the Farney championship challenge.

The sides were level at 0-10 each at the end of normal time after Armagh substitute Stefan Forker converted a 70th minute free.

Monaghan opened up an early lead with a Paul Finlay free and a Rory Woods point, but the Farney attack managed just two points from play in the first half, sorely missing ace finisher Tommy Freeman, whose appeal to the DRA had been rejected on Friday night.

Aaron Kernan hit the first of his three first half points in the ninth minute, but Monaghan stretched their lead through Raymond Ronaghan and wing back Damien Freeman.

Freeman’s 14th minute score was their last of the half, however, and their front men struggled to cope with the increasing tenacity of defender Brendan Donaghy, Andy Mallon and Ciaran McKeever.

Kernan popped up to collect from Steven McDonnell for a well-worked point, and Ronan Clarke also hot the target from play.

Armagh finished the half with a growing confidence, McDonnell and Kernan landing frees for a 0-6 to 0-4 interval lead.

Finlay brought the sides level within three minutes of the restart, but missed a host of chances that would have had his side sitting comfortably.

Instead it was the reliable Kernan who regained the lead for Peter McDonnell’s men.

Finlay compensated for his wastefulness from frees by landing a neat point in the 48th minute to bring the sides level on 0-7 each, and they were back in front for the first time since the 20th minute when Conor McManus steered over a free.

Armagh were struggling to break out of their own half, but when they did, a nervous Farney defence seemed ever willing to oblige with the frees which Kernan and McDonnell knocked over with aplomb.

As the game slipped into its final quarter, the Orchard men were less than convincingly defending a 0-9 to 0-8 advantage, but missed a golden opportunity when McDonnell failed to connect with a Clarke cross in front of goal, and almost immediately, McManus levelled again, for the fifth time, from a free.

And with seven to play, Finlay rediscovered his touch to thump over a 40-metre free.

Armagh’s plight worsened when McDonnell received a straight red card with four minutes to play, and with Eoin Lennon plucking balls out of the sky, the Monaghan men swept forward yet again.

But Finlay was guilty of another miss, and Clarke won the free that substitute Stefan Forker converted on the stroke of full-time.

They were still deadlocked midway through added time after McManus and Forker had swapped converted frees, and Armagh had gone almost an hour without scoring from play. Monaghan had scored just once from play since the 14th minute, but McManus and Finlay swept over impressive efforts to edge them back in front in the 82nd minute.

Armagh: P McEvoy, A Mallon, B Donaghy, B Shannon, A O’Rourke, C McKeever, A. Kernan (0-3, 4f), K Toner, J Lavery, P Duffy, M O’Rourke, B Mallon (0-1), S McDonnell (0-2, 2f), R Clarke (0-1), C Vernon.

Subs: T Kernan for Lavery (20), P Kernan for A O’Rourke (51), S Forker (0-2, 2f) for Duffy (53), K O’Rourke for T Kernan (62), R Henderson (70), D McKenna for Vernon (79), G O’Neill (0-1) for M O’Rourke (85)

Monaghan: P McBennett, D Mone, V Corey, D McArdle, D Freeman (0-1), G McQuaid, D Hughes, O Lennon, D Clerkin, S Collogly, P Finlay (0-5, 3f), C McManus (0-4, 3f), M Downey, R Ronaghan (0-1), R Woods (0-1).

Subs: B McKenna for Downey (34), P Meegan for Gollogly (48), K Hughes for Clerkin (57), P McGuigan for Ronaghan (57), S Gollogly for Hughes (70), D Morgan for McArdle (80), C Hanratty for Meegan (84)

Referee: D Fahy (Longford).