Hurling & Camogie

Crucial calls go against Armagh as Roscommon win Division 3A final

Armagh's Eoin McGuinness battles with Roscommon Eamon Flanagan at Pairc Tailteann yesterday. Pic Philip Walsh.
Armagh's Eoin McGuinness battles with Roscommon Eamon Flanagan at Pairc Tailteann yesterday. Pic Philip Walsh. Armagh's Eoin McGuinness battles with Roscommon Eamon Flanagan at Pairc Tailteann yesterday. Pic Philip Walsh.

Allianz National Hurling League Division 3A final: Roscommon 0-14 Armagh 0-11

THE raw energy of The Prodigy techno classic ‘Breathe’ seemed at odds with the conditions and the surroundings as the teams warmed up at sparsely-populated Pairc Tailteann yesterday but it set the tempo perfectly for a blood-and-thunder Division 3A finale.

‘Come play my game, I’ll test ya…’

Both sides were tested to their limits by the icy wind that swept sheets of sleet up the field throughout the first half and by each other over 79 minutes of intense hurling in difficult, at times terrible, conditions.

Meanwhile, some of the calls made by referee Thomas Gleeson tested the patience of Armagh manager Padraig O’Connor.

He had a case, particularly with a first half call from the Dublin ref who inexplicably ignored the advantage rule and called play back to award Armagh a free when Eoin McGuinness was clean through. The decision denied him what could have been a crucial goal.

“It was a good performance from the lads, they gave everything they had,” said O’Connor.

“If they had got a little bit more luck, if crucial decisions hadn’t gone against us in vital areas of the field like when we were in possession going for goal…

“There is an advantage rule, it wasn’t applied and we ended up with a 21-yard free and we had two guys booked for playing the ball… It just wasn’t to be for us today.”

Gleeson’s call meant Roscommon led 0-7 to 0-6 at half-time and they had turned that into a three-point advantage by the final seconds of injury-time when Armagh forced a chance to push the game into extra-time.

Nathan Curry smashed a free at the massed ranks of Roscommon defenders on the line but his shot was blocked and the Rossies, who had played with skill and purpose into the wind in the second half and forced two fine saves out of Armagh goalkeeper Simon Doherty, took the title.

“At half-time we came in thinking ‘How are we going to turn this thing around?’ because the way Armagh set-up in the first half they managed the game better than us,” said their manager Ciaran Comerford.

“We had the wind at our backs and they snuffed us out but they set up differently in the second half which allowed us a bit more space and we got on the ball and started doing the right things with the ball and it helped a lot.

“The half-forward line we have are three phenomenal athletes, they cover phenomenal ground and they’re serious hurlers.”

Roscommon had the wind at their backs in the first half and they had built up a 0-4 to 0-1 lead after 14 minutes thanks to two frees from Cathal Dolan and two points from play from Conor Mulry.

Spectators huddled together at the back of the stand as a blizzard sent plumes of snow swirling around the ground but Armagh, who set up with two sweepers, reveled in the wintry conditions.

Physical and determined, they swarmed around the man in possession, forced turnovers and sent quick ball up to their forwards

A point from Dean Gaffney and three frees from Sean Treacy’s clubman Danny Magee – the second after the McGuinness incident - had the sides level at five points apiece.

A brace of frees from the excellent Dolan sent the Rossies ahead again and then, deep into injury-time, Magee broke left to take a pass, spun and split the posts to leave it 0-7 to 0-6 at the break.

With wind advantage, Armagh would have had high hopes going out for the second half but playing into the elements suited Roscommon’s short passing game.

Doherty dived to his right to save from Gearoid Egan but Shane Curley scored from the 65. Magee did reply for Armagh but the action was at the other end of the field where the Orchard defence came under increasing pressure.

Ciaran Clifford and Artie McGuinness battled to keep out the Rossies’ inside forward pairing of Cillian and Gearoid Egan and the former’s industry led to the first of two early frees for Dolan.

Armagh complaints fell on deaf ears as Dolan added his third free of the half to send his side four points ahead (0-11 to 0-7) and then he scored from play to cancel out a point from Armagh’s Magee.

Conleth Lavery was sprung from the bench to add to some energy to the Armagh half-forward line but it was the Rossies – with Padraig Kelly outstanding – who appeared to be in control. Kelly could have finished it but his shot was well saved by Doherty and his effort sparked a rally from the Ulster side.

Three points in-a-row - from Curry, Magee and Eoin McGuinness – reduced the deficit to a single point before Kelly left two defenders in his wake and tapped the ball over to leave two points in it with four minutes of injury-time to be played.

Another Kelly score sent the Rossies three ahead with seconds remaining but Armagh won the puck-out and skipper Stephen Renaghan broke through a mass of bodies before he was fouled just short of the 21-yard line.

Seven defenders and goalkeeper Noel Fallon manned the line as Curry stood over the free. He dipped his hurl, flicked up the sliothar and let fly but Pat Nolan stooped to block his shot and then roared with delight as the final whistle sounded.

Armagh: S Doherty; O Curry, A McGuinness, P Quinn; T Nevin, D Bridges, D Gaffney (0-1); S Toal, C Rice; D McKenna, E McGuinness (0-1), S Reneghan; D Magee (0-8, 0-6 frees), C Clifford, N Curry (0-1)

Subs: P McGrane for S Toal (47) C Lavery for P Quinn (54); L Woods for D Gaffney (70).

Yellow cards: D McKenna (40), Magee (52), A McGuinness (70)

Roscommoin: N Fallon; A Moore, P Nolan, P Kenny; C Coyle, E Flanagan, H Rooney; D Heavey, S Curley (0-1 65); C Dolan (0-9, 0-7 frees), C Egan, P Kelly (0-2); G Egan, C Mulry (0-2), P Kellehan

Referee: T Gleeson (Dublin)