Armagh produce the essence of champions to sicken Tyrone in a thriller
ORANGE WAVE: Armagh's Rory Grugan celebrates scoring the winning point in the Ulster GAA Senior Football Championship Semi-Final at St. Tiernach's Park. Pic: INPHO/John McVitty
Ironclad determination, strategic brilliance, selfless leaders, steady when it counts. This is the essence of champions. This is what Armagh produced against Tyrone in an enthralling Ulster semi-final.
Clones has witnessed many great days. This was one of them. It was chaotic and erratic and sheer sporting theatre. The All-Ireland champions were two points behind when substitute Eoin McElholm swung over his second score with seven minutes remaining. They rattled off three-successive points, including a Rory Grugan free after the hooter, to clinch it. Only after the final whistle had the 21,288-strong crowd a welcome chance to take a breath. What a whirl.
This, it should be said, was a deserved triumph. Armagh led 0-11 to 0-8 at half-time and were six clear with 45 minutes played having been the better side. Ethan Rafferty was successful with 23 of his 24 kickouts and kicked a point from play. Grugan was immense, creating five points directly, kicking three and laying on the final pass to Conor Turbitt who was fouled for the decisive kick.
Even how Armagh managed that closing period was awesome. Jarly Ă“g Burns cut into the two-point deficit, Stefan Campbell did what he does and delivered from the bench and Burns claimed an errant Niall Morgan kickout with 30 seconds left.
Kieran McGeeney’s side patiently waited for the clock to tick down and the hooter to sound. Burns had injured his shoulder challenging for that kickout, but a member of the Armagh medical team helped him back into his own half so he allow Rafferty to come forward and attack. The goalkeeper eventually carried forward and passed to Grugan, who fed Turbitt. Peter Harte was adjudged to have fouled him and the game was done.
Playing with a stiff breeze, Armagh opted to pepper the posts from outside the arc. They attempted seven two-pointers in the first half and only converted one. Tyrone were reliant on individual brilliance to keep them in touch.
Darragh Canavan was one of various late changes and slotted over seconds after the throw-in with his first touch. From then on, he was well-marshalled by Paddy Burns. Ruairi Canavan couldn’t shake off Tomas McCormack and was taken off early in the second half. Niall Morgan had a poor afternoon and was eventually booked for dissent having appeared to have gone down far too easily on two different occasions. Referee David Gough did not buy either.
After a week that saw guidance issued from the Football Review Committee and National Referee Panel about the enforcement of several rules including steps, Gough pulled players throughout for overcarrying. That contributed to the lurching contest. In a game with 36 turnovers, 17 were forced. Tyrone’s stirring second half fightback started with an exhilarating high press that forced corner-back Burns into overcarrying.
That response stemmed from their bench. U20 All-Ireland winner McElholm came on and scored. Then he was fouled for a tap over free. Peter Harte kicked an awesome two-pointer and the excellent Darren McCurry followed it up with another free in dramatic circumstances.
Rafferty’s restart following that Harte belter found Peter McGrane. He was deemed to have over-carried and McGeeney volleyed the flag on the sideline up into the air. The Armagh boss was booked for that transgression and McCurry twisted the knife.
Somehow, Armagh produced a series of immense moments down the straight. Campbell looked like he was about to be burnt by Michael McKernan yet stayed with him to force a free out for steps. Ross McQuillan executed a vital strip tackle on Darragh Canavan before the equaliser.
That is the thing about this resilient group. They keep coming back. In the long history of heart-breaking defeats, the fact remains that they exposed themselves to the fire and consistently took something from it. That will carry them into the Ulster final as they look to end a 17-year wait.
Evident in each of their late clinical attacks was all of that experience and expertise. An orange wave humming with one creed: We’ve been here before. Once that may have been used as a slight. Now it’s a sign of strength.
: D. McCurry (0-10, 4 frees, 1 tpf), D. Canavan (0-4, 2 frees), M. McKernan (0-2, 1 tp), C. Kilpatrick (0-2, 1 tp), P. Harte (0-2, 1 tp), E. McElholm (0-2).
: O. Conaty (0-4), A. Murnin (0-2), C. O’Neill (0-3), O’Neill (0-3, 1 tp), R. Grugan (0-3, 2 frees), J. Burns (0-2), R. McQuillan (0-2), B. Crealey, E. Rafferty, C. Turbitt, S. Campbell (0-1 each).
: N. Morgan; C. Quinn, P. Teague, N. Devlin; M. McKernan, R. Brennan, K. McGeary; B. Kennedy, C. Kilpatrick; A. Donaghy, J. Oguz, C. Daly; D. McCurry, D. Canavan, R. Canavan.
S. O’Donnell for Donaghy (42); B. McDonnell for Oguz, E. McElholm for R. Canavan (both 48); P. Harte for Daly (54), P. Hampsey for Quinn (59 Temp).
E. Rafferty; P. Burns, B. McCambridge, T. McCormack; R. McQuillan, G. McCabe, J. Burns; C. O’Neill, C. Mackin; D. McMullen, O. Conaty, P. McGrane; R. Grugan, A. Murnin, O. O’Neill.
: C. Turbitt for O’Neill (52); J. Hall for Crealey (54), C. McConville for McMullan (62), S. Campbell for Murnin (63), S. McPartlan for McGrane (67).
: D. Gough (Meath).
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