Armagh win the Ulster title for first time since 2008 with extra-time win over Monaghan

Armagh provided their supporters with more memories so glorious and grand this evening, as they defeated Monaghan 2-28 to 0-25 after extra-time to win the Ulster title for the first time since 2008.

The first half was a ding-dong battle where both teams had spells on top. It was Monaghan who started quicker with Conor McCarthy on the board before an Andrew Woods two-pointer.

Oisin Conaty and Micheal McCarville traded points before Armagh had a massive goal chance but couldn’t force it home. After winning a Monaghan kick-out, Conor Turbitt supplied Darragh McMullen, but his shot was blocked on the line by Dylan Byrne. Byrne also kept out Conaty’s rebound, before a wall of Monaghan defenders kept out a third attempt by Andrew Murnin.

Despite a pointed free from Cian McConville and another Conaty point, Monaghan remained the more clinical side in front of the posts early on, with points from McCarthy and Oisin McGorman putting them 0-6 to 0-3 ahead.

But Armagh responded with a purple patch where they rattled off six points on the bounce. Murnin and Joe McElroy got the first two, before Jarly Og Burns converted from two-point range. Monaghan were then caught napping at the back and a quickly taken free from Turbitt allowed Burns to add another score.

Murnin and Micheal Bannigan traded scores, before Conaty began to burst into life with two sensational points. However, Monaghan kept battling back, and following a Stephen O’Hanlon point, a Rory Beggan two-point free and a David Garland score, they were level at 0-11 to 0-11.

But Armagh finished out the half with Conaty getting his fifth and McElroy getting his second. Furthermore, they could have had a goal with the last kick of the half when Turbitt got in one on one, but his shot agonisingly clipped the inside of the post and stayed out.

Armagh were clinical at the start of the second half, as they rattled off three quick points. Turbitt got two – one from a free – with Jason Duffy grabbing the third. A McGorman point for Monaghan momentarily stopped their building momentum, but then Armagh hit the back of the net.

McMullen spotted Tiernan Kelly in at full forward and picked him out with a perfect pass. The Clann Eireann man was composed in front of goal, and coolly slotted into the bottom corner to delight the Armagh fans.

Monaghan replied with a pointed free from a Bannigan and a Ryan O’Toole score either side of a Duffy point, but Armagh pulled seven clear inside the last 20 minutes following a McMullen point. The Madden man almost had a goal but was denied by Beggan, but on the rebound he fired over to raise a white flag.

Monaghan needed a purple patch to pull themselves back into the game – and they got one.

McCarthy and Turbitt (free) traded points before the Farney hit seven on the bounce. O’Hanlon and Aaron Carey raised white flags before a botched short kick-out led to Jack McCarron nailing a two-pointer and bringing the Monaghan fans to their feet. The same man notched again moments later, this time for one, to cut the gap to two points, and when O’Hanlon booted over from two-point range, Armagh were reeling and the game was level.

Nails were being bitten all around St Tiernach’s Park in the closing stages of normal time, as the importance of every shot, every pass and every decision was magnified. Twice Armagh took the lead, through substitutes Oisin O’Neill and Ross McQuillan, but on each occasion Monaghan had an answer – via O’Hanlon and McCarthy.

And so, for the fourth consecutive year Armagh headed into extra-time in the Ulster Final.

Although Monaghan opened the scoring through O’Hanlon, extra-time belonged to Armagh. McConville got them level from a free before his cousin Oisin O’Neill netted Armagh’s second goal.

Monaghan midfielder Karl Gallagher was loose in possession and Conaty overturned him. The Tir na nOg man found Rory Grugan, who played the ball across the face of goal and O’Neill made no mistake from close range, drilling home.

Further points from Turbitt and Grugan (free) had Armagh 2-24 to 0-25 to-the-good at the halfway point of extra-time.

As the minutes ticked away during the second half of extra-time the Armagh fans could sense that the victory was near and that the 18-year drought was coming to an end. Points from Conaty, Grugan, Turbitt and McQuillan put the icing on the cake for another famous win.

MATCH STATS

Armagh: Blaine Hughes; Peter McGrane, Aaron McKay, Paddy Burns; Greg McCabe, Tiernan Kelly (1-0), Jarly Og Burns (0-3, 1tp); Joe McElroy (0-2), Jason Duffy (0-2); Darragh McMullen (0-1), Conor Turbitt (0-5, 2f), Tomas McCormack; Cian McConville (0-2, 2f), Andrew Murnin (0-2), Oisin Conaty (0-6).

Subs: Oisin O’Neill for J Burns (22-31, temp), Gareth Murphy for Burns (HT), Ross McQuillan (0-2) for Duffy (56), Oisin O’Neill (1-1) for McConville (59), Rory Grugan (0-2, 1f) for McElroy (66), Daniel Magee for McMullen (ET), Cian McConville for Kelly (ET), Duffy for Murnin (ET), McMullen for McConville (80), Barry McCambridge for McCormack (88), Aidan Forker for Turbitt (88).

Monaghan: Rory Beggan (0-2, 1tpf); Oisin McGorman (0-2), Ryan O’Toole (0-1), Dylan Byrne; Bobby McCaul, Killian Lavelle, Dessie Ward; Micheal McCarville (0-1), Karl Gallagher; Aaron Carey (0-1), Micheal Bannigan (0-2, 1f), Stephen O’Hanlon (0-6, 1tp); Conor McCarthy (0-4), Andrew Woods (0-2, 1tp), David Garland (0-1).

Subs: Darragh McElearney for Ward (HT), Jack McCarron (0-3, 1tp) for Garland (45), Ryan McAnespie for McGorman (45), Max Maguire for Lavelle (77), Robbie Hanratty for Woods (ET HT), Gary Mohan for Gallagher (84).

Referee: Paddy Neilan (Roscommon).