In a gripping All-Ireland SFC quarter-final, Armagh secured a 2-12 to 0-12 victory over Roscommon, much thanks to Conor Turbitt’s decisive goal in the 51st minute. This proved pivotal in Armagh’s journey to the semi-finals of the prestigious All-Ireland series, giving them the edge to navigate and dominate the latter stage of the showdown against a 14-man Roscommon squad.
This victory paves the way for Kieran McGeeney’s team with only 140 minutes of play standing between them and re-acquiring the trophy that McGeeney himself claimed as captain of the Orchard County 22 years ago. However, amidst the greasy conditions and several mistakes, Armagh’s performance in 2024, was far from perfect.
Despite an exciting start, with Niall Grimley securing the initial throw-in, helping Turbitt to score an impressive point, the game soon lapsed into a grim first half with no scores for a long 15 minutes. In stark contrast to the previous week’s performance in Omagh, when Roscommon managed to score 0-14 from 17 attempts, their efficiency noticeably dwindled this week, scraping only 0-4 from 14 first-half attempts with multiple failed shots.
Armagh likewise struggled with six misses, but a potent dash forward and a roof-raising net finish by Barry McCambridge managed to salvage their performance. This momentarily put Armagh ahead before a few scoring attempts from Roscommon’s Conor Cox and Niall Higgins bridged the gap slightly before half-time.
In a game-altering moment, Ruaidhrí Fallon of Roscommon received his second yellow card, further burdening an already strained side. Despite this setback, the initial moments of the second half saw levelling points from Dylan Ruane and Eoin McCormack. Armagh’s Stefan Campbell came alive, contributing two points and two assists after being brought in, while Brian Stack’s dedicated defence aided Roscommon in staying afloat during the tense third quarter.
In a rapid shift of fortune during a game of football, the persona of Ronan Daly took a hit when his wide shot missed after a lengthy time on the field. This was quickly capitalised on by Armagh as they secured a point from Conaty. The following play saw Turbitt force an error from Niall Higgins, knocking the possession from his hands. Tiernan Kelly was fast to seize on the opportunity, dishing a swift back pass to Turbitt who was left alone in a showdown with the goalkeeper and came off victorious.
The fighting spirit of the Roscommon team remained high, featuring commendable performances from players like Stack, Ruane, McCormack, Conor Cox and Daire Cregg. However, their efforts didn’t challenge Blaine Hughes. The only thing that stopped Armagh from triumphing with a larger point-lead was their own string of mistakes in possession.
Despite this, Armagh’s unfaltering season will face at least one additional stage.
ARMAGH: B. Hughes, P. McGrane, P. Burns, A. Mckay; with T. Kelly, B. McCambridge (1-2, 0-1m), A. Forker (0-1); among R. O’Neill, B. Crealey; also O. Conaty (0-4), N. Grimley (0-1), J. McElroy; with R. Grugan, A. Murnin, C. Turbitt (1-2, 0-1f).
Subs: S. Campbell (0-2) for Murnin (h-t); O. O’Neill substituting for R. O’Neill (49 mins); R. McQuillan temporarily replacing for Forker (50-58); A. Nugent replaced Grugan (55); C. Mackin substituted for Crealey (64); J. Duffy for Forker (70).
ROSCOMMON: C. Carroll; N. Higgins (0-1), R. Fallon, R. Dolan; along D. Murray, B. Stack (0-1), E. McCormack (0-1); and E. Smith, S. Cunnane; playing with R. Daly, D. Murtagh (0-1), D. Cregg; also U. Harney, C. Cox (0-5, 0-4f), D. Smith.
Substitute players: D Ruane came on for Murray at the 7th minute, scoring 0-2. C Lennon replaced Harney in the 15th minute, A McDermott substituted D Smith in the 55th minute with a score of 0-1. C Heneghan stepped in for Daly at the 61st minute while A Glennon took over from Cunnane at the 67th minute. The match was officiated by referee M McNally from Monaghan.