Armagh cruise past Tyrone in a shootout

The All-Ireland champions were impressive in laying down a marker against their Ulster rivals.

Tomas McCormack of Armagh tries to lose Peter Teague of Tyrone at BOX-IT Athletic Grounds. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Armagh 1-23 (1–4–15) Tyrone 0-18 (0–4 –10) 

With a final swish, Michael McKernan unleashed a buzzer-beating effort from outside the arc just before the siren sounded. The umpire raised his flag, the scoreboard switched over, Ethan Rafferty touched it before it went over the bar making it one point instead of two. None of it mattered.

That score didn’t count. It took a long time for anyone to realise it. The fact that Rafferty touched the ball after the buzzer meant the final play was considered a shot that dropped short. Ultimately, the press in the media box were informed that the issue had been clarified post-match and the revised Tyrone total was 18 points. Welcome to the new order.

Plenty were here for it. They surged from every corner of the Orchard County. The queue to welcome the All-Ireland champions home started to form two hours before throw-in. Where the A3 meets Irish street was gridlocked, except for the fortunate Armagh players in possession of a Celtic Cross and the even more valuable parking pass.

In 2022, Tyrone arrived here as kingpins for a clash that ended with five red cards. Since then, the forces have shifted drastically. Contributing to a melee is no longer a red card, for one. Tyrone’s management and panel have undergone seismic change - for another. The Six Nations was irrelevant fare for the 14,336 in the Athletic Grounds. Just before throw-in, every light in the stand and press box went out. Even the scoreboard stopped. There was only one show in town. It was just four tall floodlights illuminating the contest on the field.

Of course, the first track to play was G Stands for Geezer. It couldn’t have kicked off in any other way. They got what they came for, as Armagh issued firm notice that last weekend’s flat showing was merely a glitch.

Kieran McGeeney’s side led 1-14 to 0-3 at half-time. They broke with power and precision, defending deep against the breeze while investing heavy numbers into Niall Morgan’s kickout for massive profit. His first five restarts were all forced long, two of which he lost. By the turnaround, his retention was just 40%.

The sole green flag came from this exact source. Ben Crealey broke it, Oisin Conaty kicked it, Rory Grugan selflessly squared it and Andrew Murnin punched it in.

Man of the match was awarded to goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty. Afterwards, no player had a bigger flock of autograph hunters than the Grange clubman. He was one of five late Armagh changes but took full advantage of the new rules, kicking two left-footed two-pointers in the first half and setting another up for Aidan Forker. He added a fifth point in the second half with his right, after an electric sidestep through the Tyrone defence.

Malachy O’Rourke’s side were off throughout. They missed with their first four shots until Shea O’Hare finally registered their first. Armagh cut through twice for first-half goal chances. Darren McCurry eventually landed their first two-pointer from a free.

At one point, O’Hare opted to solo and go instead of taking a free from just outside the 40m arc. He shipped the ball on to Kieran McGeary and it ended in a wide. A minute later, McCurry kicked a free from much further out. There is so much still to be learned.

McKernan did add two two-pointers before his eventual unsuccessful attempt. None of it made a mark on the strong home crowd. They swept across the field post-match in search of facetime with their heroes. Morgan navigated his way through the herd to offer a hand towards Rafferty, he offered a knowing look back. It was evident throughout the tie and in the subsequent celebrations. Armagh are still smiling.

Scorers for Armagh: A. Murnin 1-4; E. Rafferty 0-5 (2 tp); C. Turbitt 0-4 (1 free); R. McQuillan 0-3 (1 tp); A. Forker 0-2 (1 tp); T. McCormack, O. Conaty, R. Grugan (free), J. Hall, D. McMullan 0-1 each.

Scorers for Tyrone: D. McCurry 0-6 (2 frees, 2 tp free); M. McKernan 0-4 (2 tp); S. O’Donnell, S. O’Hare 0-2 each; L. Gray, B. Kennedy, E. McElholm, K. McGeary 0-1 each.

Armagh: E. Rafferty; T. McCormack, B. McCambridge, C. Mackin; A. Forker, G. McCabe, R. McQuillan; A. Murnin, B. Crealey; J. Hall, J. Duffy; McMullan; O. Conaty, R. Grugan, C. Turbitt.

Subs: S. Campbell for McQuillan (55); C. McConville for Grugan (66); J. Og Burns for Mackin (67).

Tyrone: N. Morgan; A. Clarke, P. Teague, N. Devlin; F. Burns, M. McKernan, S. O’Hare; B. Kennedy, L. Gray; S. O’Donnell, K. McGeary, A. Donaghy; D. McCurry, M. Donnelly, R. Cassidy.

Subs: C. Kilpatrick for Donaghy, E. McElholm for Cassidy (both half-time); B. Cullen for Burns, C. Daly for Gray (both 45); C. McShane for Donnelly (66).

Referee: J. McQuillan (Cavan).