For the second game in a row, Armagh come away with nothing from a game where they scored more often than their Connacht opponents, and left plenty more on the table as well. For the second game in a row, Roscommon have despatched Ulster opposition and taken a huge step towards retaining their Division One status, all with their St. Brigid’s players still due to come back into the fold.
In terms of entertainment value, all 6,317 supporters in Dr. Hyde Park this afternoon got full value for their ticket price and both sides will have plenty of positive aspects and spells to reflect on with the rest of the season in mind, but Roscommon will be the ones who will feel that they have added to their momentum in advance of a trip to Salthill next Saturday evening.
Since coming into rule, there have been plenty of big games that have been decided by breach infringements, mostly in the closing minutes. This was one where a decision to penalise Armagh ten minutes into the second half felt crucial to the result.
In a game where the wind was a significant factor in the game, Roscommon’s 2-14 to 0-8 half-time lead was healthy, but not insurmountable.
By any measure, the Rossies were full value for that lead. They had 2-3 on the board inside the first four minutes, with Diarmuid Murtagh and Enda Smith slotting in goals just 40 seconds apart, and in general they were dominant in the battle for primary possession and ruthless up front. Murtagh, Smith and Cregg ran riot up front, with Murtagh raising three orange flags, while around the middle third, Keith Doyle, Senan Lambe and Dylan Ruane were ferocious in the trenches.
But Armagh, not known for their two-point shooting, split the uprights from outside the arc twice in succession through OisÃn O’Neill and Andrew Murnin and their supporters lifted the roof on the stand when Greg McCabe played in Ross McQuillan and the Cullyhanna man hammered the ball past Aaron Brady.
Then referee Niall Cullen spoke with his line official to confirm that there was a breach in the build up and instead of a 2-15 to 1-14 scoreline with 25 minutes to play, Diarmuid Murtagh’s 20m free made it 2-16 to 0-14, forcing Armagh to come again.
Come again they did, but slowly. A string of missed goal chances cost them dearly, and that looked fatal when Jack Duggan turned down an easy fisted point to float the ball over Blaine Hughes to the far post, where Paul Carey was waiting to slam in the third goal and extend the lead to nine points with less than ten minutes to play.
Roscommon needed every bit of that as Armagh turned the screw to finish with an 0-6 run, including further doubles from O’Neill and Cian McConville.
A goal would have got them something from the game and they had their chances. McConville missed a glorious chance early in the half while in that sensational finale, Greg McCabe and McQuillan fired the ball over the bar going for goal, OisÃn O’Neill didn’t get enough power on an attempt to finish of a slick move with a palmed goal, and McQuillan pulled another effort across the goal instead of testing Aaron Brady.
Rossie momentum continues, while for Armagh, the spectre of relegation is starting to loom large.
D Murtagh 1-7 (1tpf, 2tp, 1f), D Cregg 0-6 (1tp, 2f), E Smith 1-2, P Carey 1-0, R Heneghan 0-1, D Heneghan 0-1, A Brady 0-1 (45).
O O’Neill 0-7 (1f, 1tp, 1tpf), C McConville 0-5 (2f, 1tp), R McQuillan 0-3, G McCabe 0-3, A Murnin 0-2 (tp), C O’Neill 0-1, T Kelly 0-1, G Murphy 0-1, T McCormack 0-1Â
: A Brady; E McCormack, C Keogh, N Higgins; R Daly, E Ward, S Lambe; K Doyle, C Ryan; D Ruane, E Smith, D Heneghan; R Heneghan, D Cregg, D Murtagh.
Subs: C Neary for McCormack (half-time), P Carey for D Heneghan (47), J Duggan for Ryan (51), C Lennon for Murtagh (61), E Colleran for Ruane (66).
: B Hughes; P Burns, Peter McGrane, G Murphy; T Kelly, G McCabe, R McQuillan; C O’Neill, A Murnin; O Conaty, F O’Brien, C Turbitt; C McConville, O O’Neill, J Óg Burns.
Subs: B Crealey for O’Brien (28), T McCormack for Burns (43), J Duffy for Conaty (51), D McMullan for McGrane (51), D McCarthy for Murnin (60).
: Niall Cullen (Fermanagh).
