Rafferty heroics ensure Armagh victory in the face of a Derry comeback

All-Ireland SFC

Armagh 2-21 Derry 2-17

By Michael McMullan

WITH goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty to the fore, All-Ireland champions Armagh held off a stellar Derry comeback to get their defence off to a winning start on Saturday night.

He denied cousins Brendan and Tommy Rogers goals in a frantic final quarter as Derry wrestled momentum back.

Conor Turbitt and Barry McCambridge hit goals for the home side in the third quarter.

Goals from Conor Glass and Dan Higgins, within a minute, pulled Derry back into the game but it wasn’t enough.

Glass kicked the game’s opening score before Armagh, with the wind at their back, roared into action.

Murnin and Conaty notched points before the latter added a two pointer for a 0-5 to 0-1 lead after eiAght minutes.

Derry were living on scraps from their kickouts but Ethan Doherty’s running game asked questions or Armagh.

Paul Cassidy and Ruairi Forbes hit Derry points before an error led to a two pointer from Turbitt helped the home sides on their way to a 0-10 to 0-4 lead.

Rian O’Neill was among the scorers but Glass, Cassidy and McGuigan had points to bring Derry back into the but they needed a Niall Toner block on the line to deny McCambridge a goal.

At the other end, Ethan Doherty blasted over when a goal was in to make the interval score 0-12 to 0-9 in Armagh’s favour.

Ross McQuillan added his second point in the first attack before Jarly Óg Burns and Jason Duffy fisted Armagh six points clear as they dominated the Derry kick-out.

Armagh’s dominance continued with a Murnin point at the end of a four-minute spell when Derry couldn’t get hands on the ball.

After a stoppage fir an injury to Conor Glass, McCambridge fisted a Murnin shot ahead of McKinless to the net for a 1-16 to 0-9 Armagh lead.

McGrogan (45) and Toner (free) replied for Derry. McGuigan landed a two pointer but it was Armagh who still held the upper hand in many sectors.

When Turbitt raced past Patrick McGurk to bag a game’s second goal to stretch the lead to nine points.

McQuillan, Conaty and Grugan added three points as they opened up the margin again with 55 minutes on the clock.

Rogers but in for a goal but he was denied by a full-length Rafferty save when Derry needed any sort of lifeline back. It was same minutes later when Rafferty denied Rogers with another before McQuillan notched a fourth of the day.

The Derry pressure eventually paid off when Conor Glass slotted to the net with Dan Higgins adding a second goal in the next play.

Derry almost found the net again but Tommy Rogers – cousin of Brendan – was denied by Rafferty.

McGuigan added a two-point free after a three versus three infraction as Derry took the 13-point lead back to four points before Rafferty denied Brendan Rogers again in the last play.

Scorers for Derry: C Glass 1-3, S McGuigan (tpf, tp), P Cassidy (1 tp) 0-5 each, D Higgins 1-0, E Doherty, R Forbes, P McGrogan (45) and N Toner (f) 0-1 each

Scorers for Armagh: C Turbitt 1-2 (tp), O Conaty (1 tp), R McQuillan 0-4 each, R Grugan (2f), A Murnin 0-3 each, B McCambridge 1-0, J McElroy, D McMullen, R O’Neill, J Burns and J Duffy 0-1 each

DERRY: B McKinless; P McGurk, E McEvoy, D Baker; R Forbes, B Rogers, P McGrogan; C Glass, C Doherty; C McFaul, P Cassidy, N Toner; A Tohill, S McGuigan, E Doherty

Subs: D Higgins for Tohill (39), R Mulholland for McGurk (54), C Devlin for McFaul (60), T Rogers for Toner (62), D McDermott for McGrogan (66)

ARMAGH: E Rafferty; P Burns, B McCambridge, P McGrane; R McQuillan, T Kelly, J Burns; J Duffy, B Crealey; D McMullen, R Grugan, O Conaty; R O’Neill, A Murnin, O O’Neill

Subs: C Turbitt for O O’Neill (INJ 14), S Campbell for Duffy (52), N Grimley for R O’Neill (56), J McElroy for Grugan (61) G McCabe for McQuillan (62)

Attendance: 14, 979

Referee: S Hurson (Tyrone)