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Tyrone hang on against 14-man Armagh as O'Neill sees red

Updated / Saturday, 3 Jun 2023 22:46

Tyrone carved out a narrow win over 14-man Armagh in the big Ulster derby to record a first win in five championship outings and get off the mark in the All-Ireland round robin series.

The straight red card dismissal of talisman Rian O'Neill late in the first half dealt Armagh a cruel blow, but they pressed the home side all the way, almost grabbing a dramatic late goal.

Five Darren McCurry points secured the victory for a Red Hand side and leaves them with their destiny on their own hands as they prepare to face Westmeath in their final group game.

But it was Kieran McGeeney’s side that created most of the goal chances, none of which were converted.

Armagh created three big opportunities in the opening 15 minutes, but managed to get just two points on the board.

First, Niall Morgan was forced into a brilliant save to deny Conor Turbitt, who got a fist to Andrew Murnin’s cross, but the 'keeper stretched to deflect the ball around a post for a ’45.

And Morgan was wrong-footed as Jarly Og Burns got a boot to a loose ball but failed to connect cleanly, but he rose to the challenge again with a second save, this time keeping out Jason Duffy’s crisply struck effort.

While they lived dangerously at the back, the Red Hands were more clinical in front of the posts, building from Morgan’s uncontested kick-outs for Darren McCurry to land a trio of scores, one off either foot and one with the fist.

Andrew Murnin and Conn Kilpatrick were on target for the visitors, but Darragh Canavan and Conn Kilpatrick, with a mark, had the home side ahead by 0-5 to 0-3 at the end of the opening quarter.

They had extended the lead to four, with scores from Mattie Donnelly and McCurry, when Peter Harte sent a screamer crashing against a post.

Armagh were struggling to break down a defence in which Michael O’Neill was immense, with a string of turnovers, and they suffered a savage blow in the 29th minute when O’Neill was shown a straight red card for kneeling on Cormac Quinn.

Tyrone turned around with a 0-8 to 0-4 advantage, and with the game losing its shape following the sending off, a turgid third quarter produced just two scores, one for each side, with McCurry cancelling out a fisted effort by wing-back Jarly Og Burns.

After conceding the kick-out all evening, Armagh began to press, and with success, winning ball that led to scores from Rory Grugan, Oisin Conaty and Turbitt as they cut the deficit to three points.

And with the courage to throw caution to the wind, they pushed their opponents back, Grugan pulling the strings and hitting the target fo two late scores that left the contest hanging in the balance.

Canavan kept them at arms length with two tasty scores, and Tyrone opted to see it out by running down the clock, but when Morgan stumbled and lost possession to Conaty, only the alertness of Michael McKernan, with a last-ditch tackle, prevented a certain goal.

Tyrone: N Morgan; M McKernan (0-01), R McNamee, P Hampsey (0-01); C Quinn, M O’Neill, P Harte; B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick (0-01, m); C Meyler (0-01), J Oguz, N Sludden; D McCurry (0-05, 2f), M Donnelly (0-01), D Canavan (0-03).

Subs: K McGeary for Sludden (41), R Canavan for Oguz (53), N Devlin for Harte (63), R Donnelly for McCurry (68)

Armagh: E Rafferty; C O’Neill, A McKay, A Forker; G McCabe, C Cumiskey, J Og Burns (0-01); B Crealey, C Mackin; J Duffy, R Grugan (0-04, 2f), S Campbell; C Turbitt (0-02, 1f), R O’Neill (0-01, f), A Murnin (0-01).

Subs: R McQuillan for Cumiskey (h-t), S McPartlan for Crealey (43), O Conaty (0-02) for Campbell (55), C McConville for Turbitt (63), A Nugent for McKay (70)

Referee: M McNally (Monaghan)

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