Ulster Senior Football Championship final: Armagh 0-18 Derry 1-15 (Derry win 3-1 on penalties after extra-time)
WAS it written in the stars? Ciaran McFaul, Derry’s prodigal son, broke Armagh hearts as the Oak Leafers retained the Anglo-Celt Cup for only the second time in their history.
There’d never been a penalty shoot-out before but, then again, there’d never been an Ulster final like this one before. In the build-up, sporting issues were overshadowed by off-field allegations of domestic abuse and from the moment the ball was thrown-in until McFaul stuck it past Ethan Rafferty this nerve-jangling encounter swung one way, then the other.
Derry led at half-time but Armagh should have won it in injury-time. Armagh led at the break in extra-time but Derry should have won it before referee David Gough called time.
Spot-kicks were the only way to separate them. McFaul scored his to win it but the spadework was done by goalkeeper Odhran Lynch. He saved Rian O’Neill’s opener and, although Callum Cumiskey did beat him with Armagh’s second, the Derry netminder denied Aidan Nugent and then Rafferty with top-drawer saves diving to his left.
Meanwhile, Shane McGuigan (who finished with seven points and rescued Derry after they were floundering two down in the second period of extra-time) and Glass scored either side of Paul Cassidy’s miss to set the stage for McFaul.
He set the ball down, the packed stands fell silent and when the ball hit the net the Derry fans erupted and raced on for a classic Clones aftermath.
Meanwhile, Armagh hordes made for the gates thinking of what might have been.
The Orchardmen had their chances in an epic struggle. With the game level at the death of normal time, Rory Grugan claimed a mark just to the right of the Derry posts at the town end.
Everything looked perfect for his left boot and the Armagh fans roared when boot struck leather, but a gust of wind from the north-west caught the ball and it dropped just short. Cruel luck on a loyal Armagh servant.
WHEN the ball was first thrown-in, Rian O’Neill got a fist to it and punched it into Derry territory but Armagh hands didn’t touch it again for what seemed like an age.
One minute, two minutes, three minutes… The Oak Leafers kept the ball as Armagh retreated but then Glass picked out McGuigan and he opened the scoring.
The kickouts went short as the rivals went for the slow build-up and Ciaran Mackin’s shot was blocked before Rian O’Neill equalised with a free from miles out.
When Paul Cassidy tried a shot, the Armagh fans roared in delight as it spiralled into the air but Rogers leapt and got a fist to the ball and it evaded Rafferty, Aaron McKay and James Morgan in the goalmouth and somehow found the net.
Marks from Jarly Og Burns and Greg McCabe reduced the deficit to a point but Derry kicked on when Rogers, too clever for the inexperienced Armagh midfield, burst through for two points either side of a Grugan free.
Glass picked out Heron’s darting run and McGuigan’s pace took him past two markers. He fisted over a point but then, after Jason Duffy had blasted wide, Armagh pressed the Derry kickout for the first time.
Andrew Murnin won it and passed to Rian O’Neill who sent the ball high and over the bar for Armagh’s first score from play after half-an-hour.
A Grugan free was cancelled out by Gareth McKinless’s fisted score but Rian O’Neill cracked over Armagh’s reply to leave it 1-5 to 0-7 at the break. The Orchardmen would have taken that because Derry had scored a soft goal and their own shooting had been poor.
The second half started with Glass winning the throw-in and a lightening break ended with a Loughlin point.
The high ball into the Derry defence that we’d been all been waiting on came after 41 minutes and Lynch came out and held it but Armagh were bossing possession and turning up the heat.
Ciaran Mackin drilled over a point as momentum seemed to change and Campbell raced on for the Orchardmen just before Derry sprang McFaul from their bench.
Toner (a free), Conor O’Neill and then McGuigan all scored and Derry led 1-8 to 0-9 with 20 minutes left.
The game was on a knife edge and Armagh’s discipline was tested as the temperature rose. Forker, McKay and Rian O’Neill were booked inside five minutes of each other but Campbell’s cool point left just one in it.
Glass and Rafferty swapped scores and then McCluskey’s fingertips took the pace off an Aidan Nugent shot and McFaul got back on his line to clear.
McGuigan’s free sent Derry two ahead with the finishing line in sight. Rian O’Neill launched the ball high and Burns fisted it back across. Lynch grabbed it but went over the end line and the umpire (after signalling ‘wide’) ordered a 45 which O’Neill stroked over the Derry blackspot.
There was a point in it with 80 seconds of injury-time remaining.
Grugan (taken off but back on) clipped the ball goalward and Lynch came off his line and intercepted. Cassidy took his pass but Burns read his intentions and nipped in. He was dragged down by Rogers who was black-carded and O’Neill’s free levelled it.
The final seconds were agony. Armagh got the ball in their hands. Rafferty played it in to Grugan. He caught the ball and raised his hand to claim the mark. He hit it well, but not well enough. Derry survived and the game went into extra-time.
ARMAGH had never led in normal-time and when the 'final' whistle blew, Aidan Forker and Conor Glass exchanged words as the teams headed in for the break before extra-time.
Derry were without black-carded Brendan Rogers, whose first half 1-2 was the difference between the teams, for almost all of the first period, but Armagh couldn't capitalize on their numerical superiority.
Ross McQuillan broke down the right and as his shot split the posts he punched the air with delight because Armagh had their noses in front for the first time.
Derry hung in there and McGuigan, who was immense in the closing stages, cracked over a free from a difficult angle to level it before Conor Turbitt, like Andrew Murnin held scoreless by the Derry defence, fed Jarly Og Burns who sent Armagh ahead again.
The tension mounted as the seconds ticked away in the second period.
Lynch came out the field but was shown down a blind alley and lost the ball. Armagh broke…
“Go on ye boy ye,” roared a voice in the crowd as Stefan Campbell raced through and stroked over off his right foot.
McGuigan’s reply was superb but then Rafferty – breaking through the middle as the extra man – sent over a swerving screamer that put Armagh two ahead again.
Derry simply refused to give in and their marquee players stood tall.
McGuigan won another free and this time Niall Toner converted to leave a point in it with less than three minutes left.
Derry had to win the kickout and Rafferty kicked it long but too close to Glass who pulled the ball out of the air. Soon it was in McGuigan’s hands again. Another free and the Slaughtneil maestro swung it over the bar from 40 metres.
He wasn’t finished there either. Rafferty went long and left with his kickout and McGuigan got a hand on it and sent Derry away up the wing where Lachlan Murray was lurking near the posts. He fisted it over to give Derry the lead with only injury-time left.
Paul Cassidy tried a shot when he should have kept the ball and Armagh grabbed the lifeline. Campbell got the ball in his hands and went straight at the Derry posts.
A combination of McFaul and Murray dragged him down and Rian O’Neill swung over the free to force a penalty shootout.
Derry kept their heads and left the past behind them.
Armagh: E Rafferty (0-2); C O’Neill (0-1), A McKay, A Forker; Ciaran Mackin (0-1), G McCabe (0-1 mark), J Og Burns (0-1 mark); J Morgan, S McPartlan; J Duffy, B McCambridge, R Grugan (0-2 frees); A Murnin, R O’Neill (0-6, 0-3 frees, 0-1 45), C Turbitt
Subs: S Campbell (0-2) for Grugan (44), A Nugent for McPartlan (44), R McQuillan (0-1) for McCambridge (58), O Conaty for Murnin (63), Grugan for Duffy (70), C Cumiskey for Forker (ET), Connaire Mackin for Ciaran Mackin (77)
Yellow cards: Grugan (32), Forker (52), McKay (56), R O’Neill (57), McQuillan (78)
Derry: O Lynch, C McKaigue, E McEvoy, C McCluskey; C Doherty, G McKinless (0-1), P McGrogan; C Glass (0-1), B Rogers (1-2); B Heron, Paul Cassidy, E Doherty; N Toner (0-2 frees), S McGuigan (0-7, 0-3 frees), N Loughlin (0-1)
Subs: C McFaul for Heron (47), L Murray (0-1) for Loughlin (60), Padraig Cassidy for Doherty (63), Heron for Murray (ET), Doherty for Padraig Cassidy (ET), Loughlin for McGrogan (83), L Murray for Heron (83)
Referee: David Gough (Meath)
Attendance: 28,720
