Armagh penalised for breach again in Roscommon defeat
For the second time in two games, a breach call against Armagh proved utterly crucial to a thrilling Allianz League Division One contest at Dr Hyde Park today.
It was a game where goal chances made all the difference. Roscommon created four, and took three.
Armagh created five and took none, and that's not including the one time they did put the ball past Aaron Brady in the Roscommon goal.
When Ross McQuillan slammed the ball inside Brady’s near post, there were 10 minutes gone in the second half and the Orchard men had just landed back-to-back two-pointers from Oisín O’Neill and Andrew Murnin.
The half-time lead of 12 points was down to seven, and they were coming like a train in a lively atmosphere in front of 6,317 supporters.
Then Niall Cullen spoke to his linesman to confirm a breach from Armagh in the build-up, so instead of 2-15 to 1-14, the goal was scratched off and Diarmuid Murtagh chipped over the 20m free to extend the lead back to eight points, with Brady adding the next from a 45 shortly afterwards.
That still wasn’t enough, as there were plenty of scores yet to come. Roscommon needed one more big one and they got it when Jack Duggan opted against the simple punch over the bar and instead floated the ball across to Paul Carey, who knocked the ball to the net to make it 3-18 to 0-18.
Armagh still had plenty in the tank as they tried to avoid a second consecutive defeat, but despite hitting another brace of doubles, they couldn’t find the goal they needed, despite creating three more chances.
When Roscommon reflect on the game, they’ll know that it was their fluid, flowing football in the opening 35 minutes – not to mention their dominance of the kickout exchanges – that powered them over the line.
They wasted no time in setting the tone. Diarmuid Murtagh opened the scoring with a two-pointer, and after Oisín O’Neill replied with a point, Murtagh and Enda Smith both found the net 40 seconds apart, setting Roscommon on the way to a 2-09 to 0-03 lead after 19 minutes, with Smith, Murtagh and Daire Cregg all scoring freely.
In a season where the Rossies have performed surprisingly well despite operating without their St Brigid’s contingent and without a host of big-name players who stepped aside over the winter, their football in this phase of the game was as good as they’ve produced in any game. Smith was to pick up the TG4 Laoch na hImeartha award but that could just as easily have gone to Senan Lambe or Dylan Ruane, who were heroic in the trenches.
They would need every bit of it before this rollercoaster of a game would come to an end, as Armagh turned around and with Ben Crealey adding heft in the middle, they turned the screw on Roscommon’s kickouts and monopolised possession after half-time.
If they had the finishing power, that would have been enough.
ROSCOMMON: Aaron Brady (0-01, 45); Eoin McCormack, Caelim Keogh, Niall Higgins; Ronan Daly, Eoin Ward, Senan Lambe; Keith Doyle, Conor Ryan; Dylan Ruane, Enda Smith (1-02), Darragh Heneghan (0-01); Robert Heneghan (0-01), Daire Cregg (0-06, 1tp, 0-02 frees), Diarmuid Murtagh (1-07, 1tpf, 2tp, 0-01 free).
Subs: Colm Neary for McCormack (half-time), Paul Carey (1-00) for D Heneghan (47), Jack Duggan for Ryan (51), Ciarán Lennon for Murtagh (61).
ARMAGH: Blaine Hughes; Paddy Burns, Peter McGrane, Gareth Murphy (0-01); Tiernan Kelly (-01), Greg McCabe (0-03), Ross McQuillan (0-03); Callum O'Neill (0-01), Andrew Murnin (0-02, tp); Oisín Conaty, Fergal O'Brien, Conor Turbitt; Cian McConville (0-05, 1tp, 0-01 free), Oisín O'Neill (0-07, 0-01 free, 1tp, 1tpf), Jarly Óg Burns.
Subs: Ben Crealey for O’Brien (28), Tomás McCormack (0-01) for Burns (43), Jason Duffy for Conaty (51), Darragh McMullan for McGrane (51), Dan McCarthy for Murnin (60).
Referee: Niall Cullen (Fermanagh).
