Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup Section A: Armagh 1-14 Tyrone 2-10
WHETHER the height of summer of depths of winter, Armagh and Tyrone proved once again that it always matters as they played out a Dr McKenna Cup thriller – with Armagh squeezing through as best runner-up after all the last-gasp numbers had been crunched.
The Orchard looked set to top Section A on score difference, at the expense of Donegal, as they led by four points in added time, only for a last-gasp Hail Mary from Dalaigh Jones to sail over the head of Shea Magill and into the net, leaving Ulster and Armagh officials reaching for their calculators as games elsewhere finished up.
Once the dust had settled, it was the Tir Chonaill who topped the group - despite having lost the two points won against Armagh for fielding ineligible teenager Finbarr Roarty - while score difference saw Armagh through as best runner-up.
Monaghan, who beat Fermanagh in Enniskillen and Ulster champions Derry make up the final four, with Armagh facing off against the Oak Leafs at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds on Saturday (4pm), and Monaghan taking on Donegal in Castleblayney on Sunday (1pm).
With 3,637 turning out - a decent crowd if not quite the pre-season figures of the rivalry’s height - no time was wasted feeling out or easing into Wednesday night’s contest.
That has never really been Armagh’s style under Kieran McGeeney and, after handing over control of last week’s opening game against Donegal to U20 manager Barry O’Hagan, the team that took the field at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds contained a sprinkling of more familiar faces.
Aaron McKay captained a side that also included Connaire Mackin, Niall Rowland, Tiernan Kelly, Cian McConville, as well as Oisin O’Neill and Mark Shields – neither or whom had played for Armagh since the summer of 2022, O’Neill’s last appearing in county colours the qualifier victory over Donegal, injury keeping Shields sidelined since the All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Galway.
O’Neill wasted little time in getting back amongst it, quickly finding his range from frees and providing the killer pass that played in roving corner-back Peter McGrane for Armagh’s first half goal.
However, although the Orchard went in just a point behind at the break, they had only mustered one score from play whereas Tyrone were finding it easier to engineer space in front of the posts.
Indeed, it looked like it could be one-way traffic as the Red Hands romped into a 1-3 to 0-1 lead after 10 minutes, Michael McKernan landing the first of his two scores – the second a thing of beauty from the sideline near the end of the half – before Tarlach Quinn found the Armagh net.
There was a touch of good fortune to the goal, as Brian Kennedy’s effort dropped short and James Garrity’s hand diverted the ball into Quinn’s waiting arms, leaving the Moortown man to sidestep Magill and slot home.
But the Orchard hit straight back with an unanswered 1-3 of their own to warm the hands of the home support.
Their major came less than a minute after Tyrone’s, the night’s second unlikely goalscorer – raiding corner-back Peter McGrane – expertly finishing a flowing move that started with Rowland’s diagonal pass into O’Neill, the Cross man instantly offloading a perfectly weighted handpass into the path of McGrane, who made no mistake.
Magill made the first of three smart saves on the night to deny Tiarnan Quinn in between the three O’Neill frees that edged Armagh into the lead, before a classy double from Lorcan McGarrity, and that outrageous McKernan score, pushed Tyrone three ahead as half-time neared.
Typical of the game’s see-saw nature, however, Armagh grabbed the last two scores before the break, a Cian McConville free before the Cross star’s effort dropped down off the upright and into the arms of McGrane, who slotted over.
Armagh brought in Jarly Og Burns for McKay at half-time, dropping Ciaran Higgins into full-back, and McGeeney’s men hit the ground running with the first four scores after the break – making it six in-a-row – to take the ascendancy.
Young sub made Conor Owens made an instant impact for Tyrone seconds after his introduction, winning and converting a mark, but neither quite managed to recreate the fluency of the first half as a series of wides and misplaced passes disrupted the flow.
And Armagh had Magill to thank as second half saves from McGarrity kept the Orchard’s noses in front as they pushed ahead by four, until Daly’s late goal gave the Orchard a scare as the finish line approached.
Armagh: S Magill; T McCormack, A McKay, P McGrane (1-1); C Mackin, N Rowland (0-1), M Shields; C Higgins, N Grimley; J Sheridan (0-1), Callum O’Neill (0-1), T Kelly; C McConville (0-3, 0-2 frees), O O’Neill (0-7, 0-6 frees), D McMullan. Subs: J Og Burns for McKay (HT), J Hall for Kelly (53), O Conaty for O’Neill (62), J Kieran for McMullan (64), C O’Hanlon for Shields (64)
Yellow card: T Kelly (25)
Tyrone: N Morgan; C Devlin, M McKernan (0-2), A Clarke; B Cullen, Tarlach Quinn (1-0), N Devlin; B Kennedy, A Donaghy; R Jones (0-1), P Harte (0-2, frees), C Daly; J Garrity, L McGarrity (0-3, 0-2 frees), Tiarnan Quinn (0-1). Subs: J Donaghy for Cullen (HT), C Kilpatrick for Jones (47), D Mulgrew for Garrity (47), C Owens (0-1, mark) for Donaghy (51), D Jones (1-0) for Daly (62), N McCarron for Tarlach Quinn (64)
Yellow cards: McMcKernan (70, 70)
Red card: M McKernan (70)
Referee: M McNally (Monaghan)