Armagh edge Kerry after extra-time in All-Ireland semi-final thriller

Armagh came good in extra-time to reach their first All-Ireland final since 2003.

BIG IMPACT: Armagh's Rian O'Neill celebrates scoring a point. Pic: Leah Scholes, Inpho

All-Ireland SFC semi-final: Armagh 1-18 Kerry 1-16 (AET)

Another so-called nearly team are within 70 minutes of a second-ever All-Ireland title as Armagh outlasted a faltering Kerry in this enthralling semi-final.

Kerry scored just twice in extra-time, had five wides and hit another couple short and could take no issue with being the poorer team in the additional periods and the final quarter of normal time.

The Armagh-dominated 55,548 crowd in Croke Park rejoiced at the final whistle, the stands and Hill 16 bombs of orange as it sunk in that they had reached a first All-Ireland final in 21 years while avoiding the prospect of a fifth penalty shoot-out defeat in championship.

Jarly Óg Burns and Conor Turbitt points separated the teams at the turnaround in extra-time, 1-16 to 1-14. 

They had hit two wides too but Kerry were the more wasteful, registering three wides and Dylan Casey’s attempted fisted point dropping short and into the goal and therefore disallowed.

Ross McQuillan stretched Armagh’s lead to three, only for Kerry to strike back with the next two, Cillian Burke fisting over and Paudie Clifford reacting quickest to a throw-up after an illegal Armagh kick-out after Burke’s point.

As tensions soared, each team posted a brace of wides. A Seán O’Brien point attempt fell short and from the break, Turbitt was able to put the final touches to a memorable Orchard victory.

Armagh’s Conor Turbitt celebrates a point in extra time. Pic: Ryan Byrne/Inpho

Kerry will have plenty of regrets. 

They engineered two goal chances inside the first seven minutes of the second half yet they finished neither. 

With the first, David Clifford at least cleaned up to take a point but Tom O’Sullivan kicked the 42nd minute effort wide after they had broken with purpose following a Paudie Clifford block.

Armagh appreciated the let-off and posted the next two points, Rory Grugan penalising Paul Murphy for touching the ball on the ground and Aidan Forker availed of Armagh winning the following long Kerry kick-out.

Murphy made amends when he palmed Kerry’s 47th minute goal. David Clifford’s point attempt swung across the square when Diarmuid O’Connor touched it across to the Rathmore man. A quick check by David Gough and his umpires and the score rightly stood.

With two points, one from play, Rian O’Neill pulled his side within a score of Kerry. 

A Seán O’Shea 45 widened the gap to four but it was whittled to a solitary point in the 55th minute. O’Neill punted high for the posts and Ryan failed to claim it and Barry McCambridge struck the dropped ball to the net.

Paudie Clifford’s second point eased some Kerry anxiety but Stefan Campbell twice came off the shoulder to amplify it, the second effort levelling the game. A worldy of a point by O’Neill in the 66th minute put Armagh ahead for the first time.

Substitute Oisín O’Neill could have doubled the advantage but tailed his shot wide. Another replacement, Dylan Geaney stepped up with the Kerry equaliser in the first minute of normal time but his last gasp strike to win it was a low percentage one and sailed wide.

Kerry won the toss and were aided by a good breeze playing into the Davin Stand. They were up and running in the ninth second when O’Shea opened his account although Peter McGrane cancelled it out in the same minute.

After Paudie Clifford and Rian O’Neill swapped scores, Kerry hit Armagh for four points without response. Brian Ó Beaglaoich was excellent in this eight-minute period. It was his pass into Tony Brosnan that triggered the first of that quartet of scores.

Armagh’s Aidan Forker celebrates after the game. Pic: Ryan Byrne, Inpho

Dara Moynihan followed it up with another three minutes later. A bad foul by Aidan Forker on Brosnan allowed Clifford to send over a free from a difficult angle and O’Shea’s second concluded the purple patch.

Armagh were continuing to turn over Kerry, though, and the next couple of points was theirs prior to David Clifford making a rare error in the 21st minute and Rian O’Neill executing the counter-attack point.

Clifford compensated with the next two points, a free for a Paddy Burns foul on Paul Geaney as he claimed a mark and a converted mark after he collected a Moynihan pass.

Conor Turbitt punished a second off-the-ball jersey tug with a free in the 28th minute but the last two scores of the half came at the other end. 

Diarmuid O’Connor kicked high and true and O’Shea penalised a dangerous foul by McGrane on Geaney after Armagh were left scrambling when Aaron McKay bought a David Clifford dummy and allowed Paul Murphy to advance.

In between those points, Ryan kept out Andrew Murnin having been found with a delicate Rory Grugan through ball.

Scorers for Armagh: C. Turbitt (0-5, 2 frees); R. O’Neill (0-3); B. McCambridge (1-0); N. Grimley, A. Forker, S. Campbell (0-2 each); P. McGrane, R. Grugan (free), J. Burns, R. McQuillan (0-1 each).

Scorers for Kerry: D. Clifford (2 frees, 1 mark), S. O’Shea (1 free, 1 45) (0-4 each); P. Clifford (0-3); P. Murphy (1-0); T. Brosnan, D. Moynihan, D. O’Connor, D. Geaney, C. Burke (0-1 each).

ARMAGH: B. Hughes; P. Burns, A. McKay, B. McCambridge; P. McGrane, T. Kelly, A. Forker (c); N. Grimley, B. Crealey; R. O’Neill, R. Grugan, J. McElroy; C. Turbitt, A. Murnin, O. Conaty.

Subs for Armagh: S. Campbell for P. McGrane (h-t); J. Duffy for O. Conaty (49); A. Nugent for B. Crealey (57); R. McQuillan for A. Forker (59); O. O’Neill for A. Murnin (62); J. Burns for C. Turbitt (e-t); C. Turbitt for A. Nugent (80); O. Conaty for R. Grugan (85).

KERRY: S. Ryan; P. Murphy, J. Foley, T. O’Sullivan; B. Ó Beaglaoich, T. Morley, G. White; D. O’Connor, J. O’Connor; T. Brosnan, P. Clifford (c), D. Moynihan; D. Clifford, S. O’Shea, P. Geaney.

Subs for Kerry: K. Spillane for P. Geaney, C. Burke for D. Moynihan (both 47); D. Geaney for T. Brosnan (59); G. O’Sullivan for B. Ó Beaglaoich (64); B.D. O’Sullivan for J. O’Connor (70); M. Breen for G. White (e-t); D. Casey for T. O’Sullivan (temp 74); T. O’Sullivan for J. Foley (78); Stephen O’Brien for D. O’Connor (e-t h-t); S. O’Brien for P. Murphy (85).

Referee: D. Gough (Meath).