Duffy and Armagh pip Down late on to reach successive Ulster finals
SHEER BLISS: Ciaran Mackin of Armagh celebrates at the final whistle. Pic: Stephen McCarthy, Sportsfile
They were hot favourites to win this Ulster Championship semi-final but Armagh got past Down by the skin of their teeth in Clones with a stoppage-time point from sub-Jason Duffy the winning score.
Two Down goals, one in each half, had the Mourne men in front and they managed to keep the ball out of their net and stifle some of Amagh’s key players like Stefan Campbell, Andrew Murnin and Jarly Og Burns, but Kieran McGeeney’s men never really panicked and kept the scoreboard ticking over until that crucial final point which saw them through.
Down manager Conor Laverty made three changes to the match programme, with Liam Kerr, Barry O’Hagan and Danny Magill replaced by Ryan Magill, Finn McElroy and James Guinness respectively, while Armagh’s lineup was unchanged.
Down had most of the early possession but finding a way through was the difficulty after Ryan Magill opened the scoring with a point in the second minute.
Both sides had everyone behind the ball and Armagh seemed content to pass the ball around rather than taking a shot on.
It took 14 minutes for the Orchard men to get their side of the scoreboard moving with a Rian O’Neill free and he converted another from play seven minutes later. In the meantime, Down’s free-taker Pat Havern hit two wide and dropped another short while Aidan Forker gave Armagh a 0-3 to 0-1 lead on 25 minutes.
On his fourth attempt, Havern hit the target with a free to narrow the margin to a point but there was a roar from the Down supporters – who were vastly outnumbered by those in orange - when Pierce Laverty played a short ball to Ceilum Doherty who cut inside and shot for goal from close range.
It looked like the chance was gone when Blaine Hughes got a foot to the ball but it fell back to Doherty and went in with a deflection from Armagh defender Paddy Burns.
Armagh responded well however, with points from Rory Grugan and Aidan Forker to square the game 1-2 to 0-5 at the short whistle.
Armagh took the lead with a Grugan free after the restart and O’Neill added another as they began to find gaps while Down struggled initially.
Daniel Guinness and Danny Magill got Down up and running again however and on 47 minutes after another Grugan free it was game on again when a goalmouth scramble with Doherty and Liam Kerr involved, ended with Ryan Magill nabbing a second Down maximum to give the Mourne men a 2-4 to 0-8 lead.
The last 20 minutes were tense, with both sides holding onto the ball for lengthy spells, waiting for their chance to strike.
Ryan Johnston cancelled out another Grugan free with a super point from distance but Armagh chipped away with the sides level at 2-6 to 0-12 with 67 minutes on the clock.
Armagh gained possession and kept it as the clock ran down and four minutes stoppage time was announced.
Down had a shot at winning the game from a Daniel Guinness free but his curled effort sailed wide and when Armagh attacked again with Duffy pointing it was enough for victory as Down sub Oisin Savage sent a last-gasp free wide of the mark.
R Magill (1-1), C Doherty (1-0), P Havern (0-2,2f,) D Guinness (0-1), D Magill (0-1), R Johnston (0-1)
R Grugan (0-5, 5f), R O’Neill (0-3), A Forker (0-2), O O’Neill (0-1,f), A Nugent (0-1), J Duffy (0-1)
B Hughes; P Burns, A McKay, P McGrane; J McElroy, C Mackin, A Forker; R O’Neill, B Crealey; S Campbell, R Grugan, O Conaty; C Turbitt, A Murnin, J Og Burns
J Duffy for Crealey (49), O O’Neill for J O Burns (54), D McMullan for Campbell (63), A Nugent for Conaty (65)
J O’Hare; P Fegan, R McEvoy, C Doherty; M Rooney, P Laverty, S Johnston; J Flynn, O Murdock; D Guinness, R Magill, R Johnston; F McElroy, P Havern, J Guinness
L Kerr for J Guinness (ht), D Magill for Flynn (43), B O’Hagan for Rooney (52) O Savage for Havern (63), S Annett for O’Hagan (65)
Liam Devenney (Mayo)
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