Free-scoring Armagh too good for Fermanagh despite McGurn heroics

Oisin O'Neill of Armagh with fans post-match at Brewster Park. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Ulster SFC: Fermanagh 1-24 Armagh 2-32 

Armagh were just too good for a wasteful but gritty Fermanagh side before a crowd of 9,000 at Brewster Park.

But Fermanagh’s Darragh McGurn hit a stunning 1-12 - with five two-pointers - which made the scoreline a tad more respectable at the finish.

The winners were superior in all departments and only hit one wide in the entire first half as their opponents racked up a total of nine wides and four efforts into the Armagh keeper Ethan Rafferty’s grateful hands.

And it was the wandering Rafferty who rose the biggest cheer of a one-sided first half with a mighty 60 metre pointed two-pointer which drew a huge cheer from the huge Armagh attendance.

Fermanagh supporters voted with their feet in a very poor turnout, an indication of how they felt about their side’s chances.

But; all credit to a well-drilled Armagh side who broke at a frenetic pace and took their scores with aplomb. 

Their first goal came from a palmed effort from Jason Duffy which effectively sealed the deal in the run-up to the break as they led by 1-17 to 0-4.

They found the net again, though Turbitt but Fermanagh tacked on 1-17 in a much improved second half.

Fermanagh opened the scoring with a well-worked point from Johnny Cassidy after Armagh were turned over in the Erne defence after two minutes.

But they also hit two wides in the same period as Darragh McMullan slotted over a fine two-pointer to put Armagh into a 0-2 to 0-1 lead.

Jarly Óg Burns stretched that lead with a fine point.

And full forward Conor Turbitt punished an indiscretion from McGurn by converting a two-pointer.

Garvan Jones hit two bad wides from scorable slots as Turbitt and the nippy Oisin Conaty tagged on two more Armagh points to put the wines into a 0-7 to 0-1 lead.

Darragh McGurn responded with a well-struck effort, but it was Armagh who looked by far the more menacing.

Garvan Jones converted a free for Fermanagh to make it a 0-9 to 0-3 match.

And then the large Armagh contingent nearly lifted the roof when keeper Ethan Rafferty hoofed over a superb two-pointer free from almost 60 metres.

Jarly Óg Burns strode through for another point, which was added to by Tiernan Kelly as Joe McDade responded for Fermanagh.

Turbitt and Conaty landed two more points in the lead-up to half-time.

But they could have been further in front approaching half-time had Erne 'keeper McNally not pulled a fine save from a palmed effort from Magee as Armagh led by 0-15 to 0-4 at the break.

They had the ball in the Erne net when Jason Duffy palmed the ball to the net after a good cross from Aaron McKay to put them into a 1-15 to 0-4 lead.

And Ross McQuillan landed a fine two-pointer to put Armagh ahead by 1-17 to 0-4 at the break as wasteful Fermanagh hit nine wides and four efforts dropped short.

Cian McConville opened the scoring for Armagh and Duffy and Turbitt quickly added to that tally to make it 1-20 to 0-4 by the 33rd minute.

McGurn responded with another fine two-pointer, but this was quickly negated by Armagh’s second goal when Turbitt palmed the ball to the net from a Burns cross to put Armagh ahead by 2-20 to 0-6 by the 46th minute. 

McGurn then hit a two-pointer and a single score as McConville hit a point for Armagh.

Sub Oisin O’ Neill then tagged on four points for Armagh as Erne sub Conor Love pointed for Fermanagh to leave Armagh leading by 2-26 to 0-14.

But the two-pointer total of McGurn and subs Conor O’Hanlon and Brandon Horan reduced the deficit to 2-26 to 0-22.

McGurn followed up with a well-finished goal in a frenetic finish where Conaty and Jarly Og Burns exchanged points with another McGurn two-pointer as the home side finished with a flourish.

Fermanagh: Sean McNally; Luke Flanagan, Oisin Smyth, Shane McGullion; Jonathan Cassidy (0-1) Ronan McCaffrey, Declan McCusker; Stephen McGullion, Conor McGee; Sean Cassidy, Ciaran Corrigan, Josh Largo Ellis (0-1); Joe McDade (0-1), Darragh McGurn (1-12, 5tp) Garvan Jones (0-1,f).

Subs: Conor Love (0-1) for Sean Cassidy (29), Brandon Horan (0-2tp) for Declan McCusker and Conor O’Hanlon (0-4tp) for Garvan Jones (h-time), Mattie McDermott (0-1) for Ciaran Corrigan (46), Aogan Kelm for Conor McGee (54).

Armagh: Ethan Rafferty (0-2tp); Paddy Burns, Aaron McKay, Peter McGrane; Ross McQuillan (0-1), Tiernan Kelly (0-3) Jarly Óg Burns; (0-4) Jason Duffy (1-1) Andrew Murnin; Tomas McCormack, Darragh McMullen (0-2f), Daniel Magee (0-1); Oisin Conaty (0-4), Conor Turbitt (1-7, 1tp) Cian McConville (0-3, 1f) 

Subs: Ciaran Mackin for Andrew Murnin (43), Oisin O’Neill (0-4) for Conor Turbitt (46), Barry McCambridge for Tomas McCormack (50), Ryan Duffy for Jason Duffy (59). 

Referee: Barry Cassidy (Derry.)