NFL Division One: Armagh 4-24 Derry 1-18
Armagh ensured Division One survival, with an emphatic 15-point victory putting relegated Derry to the sword at the Athletic Grounds.
Kieran McGeeney’s side led from gun to tape, but can point to a five-minute spell early in the second half when they fired home four game-winning goals to bring an early conclusion to this one-sided contest.
Anton Tohill poked home a late consolation goal for disappointing Derry who lost the influential Shane McGuigan, dismissed in the first half by referee David Gough, after two yellow cards.
First half hooter-beating points from first Conor Turbitt and then Peter McGrane eased the hosts into the break with a four point advantage, leading 0-12 to 0-8.
The All-Ireland champions raced to an early 0-3 to 0-1 lead through points from Ross McQuillan. Rory Grugan and Stefan Campbell. A second from McQuillan and a Darragh McMullan score edged that lead to 0-5 to 0-2, with the spritely Conor Doherty darting forward for Derry’s second point.
Having just blasted a rasping shot off the Derry post, Oisin Conaty fisted over a point after creating a pocket of space before Tomás McCormick’s powerful run a score handed his side a 0-7 to 0-4, despite a mighty two-pointer from that man Conor Doherty for the Oakleafers.
Three in a row extended the home side’s advantage to 0-10 to 0-5, with goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty, and Greg McCabe, courtesy of 60 metre run, among the scorers.
Within six minutes of the restart Armagh had, outrageously, punctured the Derry net four times. Ross McQuillan’s 36th-minute goal ignited the goalscoring splurge, with Barry McCambridge, Conor Turbitt and the Darragh McMullen then all raising black flags.
Leading 4-13 to 0-9 the Orchard County continued to work their scoreboard at regular intervals before black cards to Conor Turbitt, Jemar Hall and Derry’s Conor Doherty left us with 13 aside in the 59th minute.
It mattered little. Derry fought to the bitter end with Conor Glass hitting a big two-pointer, Caolan Devlin and Niall Toner converting their frees before that late Tohill goal.
But this was, without any doubt, Armagh’s day.
ARMAGH: Ethan Rafferty (0-1-1), Peter McGrane (0-0-1), Barry McCambridge (1-0-0), Peter Burns, Ciaran Mackin, Greg McCabe (0-0-1), Tomás McCormick (0-0-2), Callum O’Neill, Oisin Conaty (0-0-1), Darragh McMullan (1-0-1), Rory Grugan (0-1-1, 1f), Conor Turbitt (0-0-4, 1f), Stefan Campbell (0-0-4), Andrew Murnin (0-0-2), Ross McQuillan (1-0-2)
Subs: Joe McElroy for McQuillan (47 mins), Jarly Og Burns for Mackin (55 mins) Jermar Hall for Conaty (57 mins) Paddy Burns off for Gareth Murphy for Burns(66 mins) Oisin O’Neill for Grugan (66 mins)
DERRY: Ben McKinless, Eoin McEvoy, Martin Bradley (0-0-1), Diarmuid Baker, Conor Doherty (0-1-1), Padraig McGrogan, Jody McDermott, Conor Glass (0-2-2, 1′45), Anton Tohill (1-0-0), Ethan Doherty, Niall Toner (0-0-3, 2f), Caolan Devlin (0-0-3, 2f), Ben McCarron, Shane McGuigan (0-0-1), Paul Cassidy (0-0-1)
Subs: Patrick McGurk for McDermott (32 mins), Mark Doherty for Bradley (47 mins), Declan Cassidy for McCarron (56 mins), Ryan Mulholland for Baker (56 mins), Charlie Diamond for McGrogan (60 mins)
REFEREE: David Gough
