Armagh have the prized item of silverware that has eluded them for 18 years, but they had to go to the well several times to see off dogged Monaghan as the Ulster football final went to extra-time for the fifth successive season.
Kieran McGeeney's men had been hauled back more than once in normal time, but down the added stretch they pulled away to finish with nine points to spare in a Clones classic.
It was an itch that had grown more irritable by the year since their last Ulster triumph in 2008.
Defeat in the last three finals, all three after extra-time and two of them in penalty shoot-outs, added to a discomfort that not even a first All-Ireland in 2024 had soothed, but now a relieving scratch sent the remnants of despair wafting into the Clones air.
Not long ago kings of the northern province, with seven Ulster titles in ten seasons leading up to that most recent success almost two decades ago, they failed to even reach a final in any of the following 15 years.
The Anglo-Celt Cup appeared to be in the bag when Kieran McGeeney’s men led by seven going into the closing stages, but just as he had been in the stunning comeback win over Derry, Jack McCarron was a central character in forcing an epic to extra-time.
Armagh are Ulster champions after a 2-28 to 0-25 extra time win over a Monaghan side that had Darragh McElarney sent off in the dying seconds
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Monaghan, with the help of an Andrew Woods two-pointer, eased three ahead, but the Orchard, putting serious pressure on Rory Beggan’s kick-outs, settled into the game.
Monaghan needed a double block from Dylan Byrne and Ryan O’Toole to deny Darragh McMullen a goal, and points from Cian McConville and Oisin Conaty narrowed the gap.
Conaty was on fire up front as the Orchard forced Beggan’s restarts long and garnered the possession to keep them on the attack.
The Tír na nÓg flyer used his electrifying pace and low centre of gravity to dart through for a couple of exquisite scores, and while Conor McCarthy and Oisin McGorman kept Farney noses in frOnt, it was only a matter of time before Kieran McGeeney’s side would go ahead.
It was a Jarly Óg Burns two-pointer after 16 minutes that gave them the lead for the first time, and they made it 0-6 without reply as Murnin finished off a classic training ground move involving Tiernan Kelly and Conor Turbitt.
Conaty had them four ahead going into the closing five minutes, but Monaghan went level, Beggan raising an orange flag from a placed ball.
But there was no holding Conaty as he darted past the desperate grasps of Micheal McCarville and Ryan O’Toole to slot over his fifth.
Turbitt was desperately unlucky to see a shot come off the butt of a post with Beggan floundering, and the Orchard were full value for their 0-13 to 0-11 interval lead.
Darragh McMullen’s piercing through ball sent Tiernan Kelly through to finish low to the net, and Armagh were seven clear less than ten minutes into the second half.
Monaghan were struggling to get out of their own half, but were clinical with any raid they managed, Micheál Bannigan and Ryan O’Toole pulling back points, while they were held out by the willingness of Murnin and Tomas McCormack to track back and tackle with ferocity.
McMullen’s strong running through the heart of the Farney rearguard kept the Orchard on top, winning a free that Turbitt converted to maintain the seven points cushion going into the closing 13 minutes
But Farney courage rose to the surface again as they stepped it up in the relentless Clones rain to hit 0-7 in the space of four scintillating minutes, plundering a couple of short Blaine Hughes kick-outs to drag themselves level.
Substitute McCarron’s two-pointer was the catalyst, with Stephen O’Hanlon also raising an orange flag, both men adding inspiring scores to rock their opponents.
Kieran McGeeney claims his players wanted the Ulster medal more than he did, with one eye on the All-Ireland competition beginning soon.
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A breathtaking finish saw substitutes Oisin O’Neill and Ross McQuillan both regain the lead for Armagh, but the Monaghan men found levellers from O’Hanlon and McCarthy to tie it up at 1-21 to 0-24.
It was Armagh, with Rory Grugan off the bench to find space and provide an outlet along the left flank, prospered in the first period of extra-time, opening out a five points lead.
Grugan sent Oisín O’Neill through for a goal, and converted a free to make it 2-24 to 0-25 at the turnaround.
Fresh legs off the bench ensured they would continue to have the edge on a flagging opponent, with Conaty, Grugan, Turbitt and McQuillan firing the closing shots on a triumphant afternoon.
Armagh: B Hughes; P McGrane, A McKay, P Burns; G McCabe, T Kelly (1-00), J Og Burns (0-3, 1tp); J McElroy (0-02), J Duffy (0-02); D McMullen (0-01), A Murnin (0-02), T McCormack; C McConville (0-2, 2f), C Turbitt (0-05, 2f), O Conaty (0-06).
Subs: G Murphy for Burns (h-t), R McQuillan (0-02) for Duffy (55), O O’Neill (1-01) for McConville (58), R Grugan (0-02, 1f) for McElroy (65), D Magee for Kelly (71), McConville for Murnin (71), Duffy for McMullen (71), McMullen for McConville (79), B McCambridge for McCormack (87), A Forker for Turbitt (88)
Monaghan: R Beggan (0-02, tp); O McGorman (0-02), R O’Toole (0-01), D Byrne; B McCaul, K Lavelle, D Ward; M McCarville (0-01), K Gallagher; A Carey (0-01), M Bannigan (0-02, 1f), S O’Hanlon (0-05, 1tp); C McCarthy (0-04), A Woods (0-02, tp), D Garland (0-01).
Subs: D McElearney for Ward (h-t), J McCarron (0-03, 1tp) for Garland (44), R McAnespie for McGorman (44), S Mooney for McCaul (50), M Maguire for Lavelle (76), R Hanratty for Woods (81), G Mohan for Gallagher (84)
Referee: P Neilan (Roscommon).
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