Allianz National Football League Division One: Armagh 0-17 Mayo 0-17
RIAN O’Neill was the hero again as Armagh, ahead at half-time but with a foot and at least three toes in the grave as injury-time approached, salvaged a point from this nail-biting thriller.
A packed house stayed glued to their seats to the finish to watch Armagh claw their way back from five points’ down to level with the last kick of a game that was played at Championship pace in the second half.
Mayo, too passive in the first half when they tried, and failed, to contain their hosts, were a different animal after they break. With Aidan O’Shea outstanding, they dominated midfield and could have wrapped the game up when Jordan Flynn’s goal chance was cleared off the line by Callum Cumiskey.
Armagh refused to lose and afterwards assistant-manager Kieran Donaghy tried to make sense of a topsy-turvy affair which both teams could have won but neither did.
“It’s hard to put words on it,” said Donaghy.
“You’re a bit disappointed with some parts of the play – some of the skill errors and dropped balls – but then you’re just proud of the way the boys showed real determination and passion to keep going to the very end, even when it was lost.
“The energy that the subs gave us off the bench – Jason Duffy, Niall Grimley, Callum Cumiskey with that clearance off the line, Ross McQuillan made a few vital interceptions late… So it’s hard to put in words but I’m proud of the group the way they kept going even when they weren’t functioning at their best.”
Meanwhile, Mayo manager Kevin McStay won’t be involved in many more exciting games in charge of his native county. He took the many positives from a terrific tussle.
“I’m straightaway going to put very positive words, from a Mayo perspective,” he said
“I know we were five-up, and most people will concentrate on that. But I’m not going to go down that road, I’m going to concentrate on what got us there, really good, smart positive play, great attitude, energy, enthusiasm.
“This was Championship stuff, essentially, great atmosphere, a fantastic ground, and we knew Armagh were going to come back at us, in every sense, and I tip my hat to them.”
Rian O'Neill's injury time equaliser means Armagh and Mayo share the points in the second round of the Allianz Football League. pic.twitter.com/SU89zhfXYz
— The GAA (@officialgaa) February 5, 2023
Armagh, with the wind behind them and a low sun in the eyes of the Mayo defence, drilled the ball hard and long from the off. They had early scores from O’Neill and the hard-working Rory Grugan while Mayo replied through Ryan O’Donoghue and Fionn McDonagh and it was level after 15 cagey minutes.
O’Neill edged Armagh ahead before Andrew Murnin stride forward and languidly scored the home side’s fourth and points from Conor Turbitt and Murnin had the Orchardmen four up before Flynn and Cillian O’Connor – after Rafferty had misplaced a kickout – scores left it 0-8 to 0-6 at the break.
Second half
The second half was a different story. No more back-and-across handpassing, it was gung-ho from the word go and Mayo had the better of it until O’Shea – who looked a man among boys at times – ran out of gas in the closing stages.
He and Grugan had traded points before Mayo grabbed the momentum. The game changed when Stefan Campbell – a marked man around midfield - was held up and Rory McBrien bulldozed through tackles and worked the ball to James Carr who broke from the left wing and lashed a shot over the bar.
Tiernan Kelly, quieter than usual, replied but Mayo surged ahead. Bob Tuohy spotted Matty Ruane’s run out of the corner of his eye and the Breaffy midfielder levelled and then O’Donoghue clipped over a free to give the Westerners the lead for the first time
Flynn and O’Donoghue’s fifth free left three in it and although Turbitt pulled one back after Rafferty, bursting up field, had played the pass, Armagh were struggling to break the Mayo line and found themselves exposed at the back.
Ruane’s strength
Ruane’s strength and class created the platform for O’Connor to score his second and then O’Donoghue and O’Connor set up Flynn the crowd held their breath but the shot was hacked off the line by a desperate Cumiskey.
It was a vital clearance from the Crossmaglen clubman and it kept Armagh afloat but when Mayo goalkeeper Colm Reape restored his county’s five-point cushion with three minutes left there seemed no way back for Armagh.
The home side were only allowed four subs because Jemar Hall, not named in the original matchday squad, started the game but you can’t count them out.
Grugan landed a free as Armagh, roared on by a packed house, built a head of steam.
Turbitt pulled another back with one of the six minutes’ of injury-time gone. Then O’Neill got another and, with nails bitten to stumps, Murnin’s shot was poked round the post by a Mayo toe.
O’Neill landed the 45 and there was one in it with two to go.
Mayo broke but Donnacha McHugh blazed wide from distance instead of playing out time and Armagh had one last roll of the dice. O’Neill grabbed the ball and cut from the left wing. He was awarded a free - soft from a Mayo point of view – with time almost up. He doesn’t miss.
Armagh: E Rafferty; A McKay, A Forker, R Finn; P Burns, B McCambridge, J Og Burns; C Mackin, S Campbell; C Cumiskey, R Grugan (0-4, 0-3 frees), T Kelly (0-1); R O’Neill (0-6, 0-5 frees, 0-1 45), A Murnin (0-3), C Turbitt (0-3, 0-1 free)
Subs: N Grimley for Finn (HT), C Cumiskey for Mackin (50), J Duffy for Hall (50), R McQuillan for Kelly (61)
Yellow cards: Finn (31), O’Neill (52)
Mayo: C Reape (0-1 free); D McBrien, R Brickenden, J Coyne; S Coen, C Loftus, E Hession; M Ruane (0-1), A O’Shea (0-2, 0-1 mark); J Carney, B Tuohy, J Flynn (0-2); F McDonagh (0-1), J Carr (0-1), R O’Donoghue (0-7, 0-6 frees)
Temporary subs: C O’Connor for Carr (31-HT)
Subs: Cillian O’Connor (0-2) for Carney (41), E McLoughlin for McDonagh (49), D McHale for Tuohy (56), C McStay for Carr (61), D McHugh for O’Shea (72).
Yellow cards: Hession (11), McDonagh (22), O’Shea (59)
Referee: F Kelly (Longford)
Attendance: 14,113
