Armagh squeeze past Tyrone in Ulster extra-time epic

Conor Turbitt’s 87th-minute point edged Armagh past Tyrone after extra-time in a frantic Ulster derby that swung wildly before the hosts scraped through.

Armagh haven't won an Ulster title since 2008. They have lost the last three finals. Pic: ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Ulster SFC preliminary round: Armagh 1-17 Tyrone 1-16 (after extra-time) 

Not for Armagh the easy way. Not in Ulster.

Kieran McGeeney’s men were the hottest of favourites for this provincial opener at home to their great rivals, but they were pushed all the way, and more, by Tyrone before belatedly scrambling over the line.

Just the three rounds to go now if they are to win a first Ulster senior title since 2008, and make up for the last three seasons that have seen them beaten in finals after extra-time and after penalties. God love them.

McGeeney will hardly mind for now. Armagh won plenty of plaudits but not enough points for their league endeavours this year. They played badly for long spells here and got the job done.

The game is about results. They got theirs here.

It started slowly and ended in a blizzard of activity and adrenaline. A fisted point from Conor Turbitt after 87 minutes proved to be the winner but only after Eoin McElholm drove a low shot wide and Niall Morgan missed with a late ‘45’.

The pitch invasion on the hooter said it all.

Most of the questions prior to this one had centred on a Tyrone team that had flattered to deceive in the unfamiliar confines of Division Two, and the visitors did little to answer any of them in a poor opening quarter.

Armagh weren’t electric themselves but the hosts were still good value for the early lead they built up. McGeeney’s side led by six points to one through the first quarter in a game where a crosswind didn’t favour either of them overly much.

It was poor enough fare with little counter-attacking and pace. Armagh were having the better of it in midfield without dominating and Tyrone were killing themselves with a string of two-point attempts that just didn’t suit the blustery elements.

Armagh's Jarly Óg Burns signs autographs after the game. Pic: ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Ethan Jordan was the main culprit there.

Losing Darragh Canavan and midfielder Brian Kennedy after 19 and 27 minutes didn’t exactly help Tyrone but they started to find their feet in between those two changes with Mattie Donnelly’s introduction injecting some energy and movement into the attack.

The gap dipped to just three points before Armagh’s Darragh McMullen collected a short kickout deep in his own half, ran the length of the field and tapped over a rare point on the run to make it 0-8 to 0-4 at the interval.

That was manageable for Tyrone who saw Donnelly ship a heavy blow shortly before the break, but the Trillick veteran was well enough to land the first score of a third quarter that Malachy O’Rourke’s side dominated in terms of play and scores.

Tyrone bossed the midfield, had oodles of possession and made Armagh pay in that chapter of the game. Jordan’s radar finally kicked in, Conn Kilpatrick was having a huge influence and they finally drew level in the 54th minute.

Armagh had plenty of talent on the bench, and started to use some of it, but the momentum stayed against them. Michael McKernan chipped a lovely point to put Tyrone ahead against an Armagh opponent with just one score claimed in the half to that point.

The next twist came when Armagh again began to get some foothold in the midfield. Oisin O’Neill capitalised on it with a two-point free, another dead ball and a fourth from play, all in quick order, to leave them three points to the good.

Losing McMullan to a second yellow card with three minutes to go looked to be a minor inconvenience at the time. How little we knew. Then a major blow with Tomas McCormack rifling low to the net with seconds left to force the extras.

Armagh, down to 14 men for the next 20 minutes now, made four changes for the added period and had 1-1 to show for it within 90 seconds, the returning Tomas McCormack finding the net after a flowing team move.

Back came Tyrone. Instantly.

McKernan and Kilpatrick landed two-pointers, one after the other. Points were traded, so were wides. Subs came and went. A changeable game and a changeable day: extra-time started in blinding sunlight and it could have done with floodlights by half-time.

Extraordinary stuff. A worthy addition to the canon that is this rivalry.

Scorers for Armagh: O O’Neill (0-6, 3f, 1 2pt-free); C O’Neill (0-3, 1 2-ptf, 2f); T McCormack (1-0); R McQuillan and C Turbitt (both 0-2); D McMullan, C McConville, T McCormack (all 0-1); B Hughes (0-1 ‘45’).

Scorers for Tyrone: B McDonnell (1-0); C Kilpatrick (0-4, 1 2-pt); M McKernan (0-3, 1 2-pt); M Donnelly (0-3); E Jordan (0-2, 1f); P Teague, C Daly, S O’Donnell and E McElholm (all 0-1).

ARMAGH: B Hughes; P McGrane, A McKay, C O’Neill; R McQuillan, G Murphy, J Og Burns; T Kelly, B Crealey; G McCabe, D McMullen, T McCormack; C McConville, J Duffy, O Conaty.

Subs: C Turbitt for McCormack (43); O O’Neill for McConville (51); J McElroy for McQuillan (56); R Grugan for Burns (62-64) and O’Neill (65); P Burns for McGrane, T McCormack for Murphy, C McConville for Crealey and R McQuillan for McElroy (all 70); J Duffy for McCabe (87).

TYRONE: N Morgan; C Quinn, P Teague, N Devlin; C Daly, J Clarke, M McKernan; B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick; B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick; S O’Donnell, R Cassidy, B McDonnell; D McCurry, E Jordan, D Canavan.

Subs: M Donnelly for Canavan (19); K McGeary for Kennedy (27); E McElholm for McCurry (49); L McGarrity for Jordan (57); C Bogue for Cassidy (both 65); A Donaghy for Daly (73); B Cullen for McGeary (78); A Clarke for Quinn (85).

Referee: N Mooney (Cavan).