Early red card for Shane McGuigan costs Derry in Armagh

Armagh 4-24

Derry 1-18

Derry’s stint in division one ended with another defeat as All-Ireland champions proved too strong to prevail by fifteen-points.

With Derry’s relegation already confirmed, there was only pride to play for while one eye may have been on the Ulster championship meeting with Donegal in two weeks’ time.

But the Derry will point to the 30th minute dismissal of Shane McGuigan as a major turning point.

With only three points separating the sides, McGuigan was sent to the line by referee David Gough for an apparent late tackle on Andrew Murnin. Contact looked minimal, but Gough who has a fractured history with McGuigan had no hesitation in issuing the Slaughtneil man with a second yellow card, and subsequent red.

While Derry did well to hold their hosts to four points at the break, four bizarre goals in the opening stages of the second half effectively ended the game as a contest.

After Stefan Campbell’s effort came back off the upright, Ross McQuillan found himself in acers of space to gather the rebound and smash the ball high into the Derry net.

Seconds later full back Barry McCambridge took advantage of some chaos in the Derry defence to stab home a loose ball for Armagh’s second goal.

Moments later Conor Turbitt’s effort appeared to had been safely gathered by the recently recalled Ben McKinless, but with Derry developing an attack at the other end, the umpire’s signalled to the referee that McKinless had carried the ball over the line.

A Conor Glass point failed to stem the Armagh attack as minutes later wing-back Darragh McMullan marked a rare start by drilling home from close range after Grugan selflessly passed across the face of Derry’s goal.

It was a bizarre period of the game that Derry never fully recovered from and one which Armagh took full advantage of to set themselves up for a convincing win and confirm their division one status for another year.    

Armagh made a fast start and quickly dispelled any rumours of a viral infection that was to be spreading through the camp.

Ross McQuillan was first player to get his name on the scoresheet and the large Armagh support didn’t have long to wait on a second score.

Armagh won a free from McKinless’s kick out, and for a showing dissent, referee David Gough brought the free forward to the Derry 13 metre line. Rory Grugan took the easy opportunity to extend Armagh’s lead to two-points with less than two minutes on the clock.

McGuigan then saw his effort drop short into the arms of home goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty, but Caolan Devlin marked his first senior start with an excellent point on the run after the Armagh defence fell to some trickery from the Loup forward.

The lively opening continued as Stefan Campbell and Conor Doherty exchanged points but Armagh took a stranglehold on affairs when McQuillan added his second before McMullan kicked over his first score of the day.

Conor Doherty’s two-pointer in the 11th brought Derry back into the tie, but the hosts were finding it a lot easier to find their scores.

Time and time again the Armagh forward unit were found their way through a soft-hearted Derry defence as Oisin Conaty, Callum O’Neill and Turbitt, all kept the scoreboard ticking over.

Derry approach play was more passive compared to their hosts. But Niall Toner and Marty Bradley efforts kept Derry in touch.

As the half drew to a close, Derry’s wide count continued to soar while at the other end Turbitt and Peter McGrane helped Armagh to a healthy four-point advantage at the break, 0-12 to 0-8.

After a competitive first half, no-one predicated what was to follow in the opening period of the second half.

Four quick-fire Armagh goals turned the tie on its head, and the game was all but over as a contest.

McCormack, Grugan and Turbitt kept the scoreboard ticking over for Armagh as attention started to turn elsewhere to see if results were going their way.

Derry battled gamely to the end and were awarded for their endeavours when Anton Tohill got his toe to his own rebound to grab Derry a consolation goal in the final minutes.

 Armagh: Ethan Rafferty (0-3), Peter McGrane (0-1), Barry McCambridge (1-0), Paddy Burns, Ciaran Mackin, Greg McCabe (0-1), Tomás McCormack (0-2), Callum O’Neill, Oisin Conaty (0-1), Darragh McMullen (1-1), Rory Grugan (0-3 1f), Conor Turbitt (1-4, 1f), Stefan Campbell (0-4), Andrew Murnin (0-2), Ross McQuillan (1-2).

Replacements: Joe McIlroy for McQuillan (48), Jarly Og Burns for Mackin (55), Jermal Hall for Conaty (56), Gareth Murphy Burns (66), Oisin O’Neill for Grugan (66).

Derry: Ben McKinless, Diarmuid Baker, Eoin McEvoy, Martin Bradley (0-1), Conor Doherty (0-3), Padraig McGrogan, Jody McDermott, Conor Glass (0-6 1 ‘45’), Anton Tohill (1-0), Ethan Doherty, Niall Toner (0-3, 2F), Caolan Devlin (0-3 2f), Ben McCarron, Shane McGuigan (0-1), Paul Cassidy (0-1).

Replacements: Patrick McGurk for McDermott (33), Mark Doherty for Bradley (48), Declan Cassidy for McCarron (56), Ryan Mulholland for Baker (56), Charlie Diamond for McGrogan (60).

Referee: Mr David Gough (Meath)