Gaelic Games

Barnstorming second-half display sees Armagh pip Louth by a point

With the wee county racing out to a four-point lead, Armagh needed an impressive final quarter showing to take the points

Armagh’s Oisín Conaty tackles Craig Lennon of Louth. Photograph: Leah Scholes/Inpho
Armagh’s Oisín Conaty tackles Craig Lennon of Louth. Photograph: Leah Scholes/Inpho
Sat Jan 27 2024 - 20:47
National Football League Division Two: Armagh 0-12 Louth 0-11

Armagh staged a barnstorming second half performance to pip a gallant Louth side at the post in this gripping Allianz Football League Division Two encounter at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds on Saturday night.

The Wee County had looked to be gaining the upper hand when they whipped over the first four points of the contest before being reined in by their opponents. In an electric finish the orchard county just managed to hold onto a one-point lead that yielded two precious league points.

Armagh were under pressure in the first half as Louth were very much in charge of the opening quarter which saw them compile four points while their opponents remained scoreless.

A brace of early points from Paul Matthews and Ryan Burns provided the Wee County with the incentive to take the game to their hosts and when Ciaran Keenan and Dermot Campbell were on target, Louth began to look increasingly confident.

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But in a rousing two-minute burst Armagh pilfered points through a Conor Turbitt free and an elegant finish from Oisin Conaty to narrow the gap to 0-4 to 0-2.

It was Louth, though, who seized the initiative once again when Tommy Durnin burst forward to land his side’s fifth point.

Yet Armagh kept in touch when Turbitt converted another free in the 30th minute and Rory Grugan scored from distance to leave the host side a point in arrears at half-time at 0-5 to 0-4.

But Armagh proved the dominant force after the break and in landing six unanswered points between the 42nd and 58th minutes, they went on from there to squeeze home in a tension-laden finish.

Stefan Campbell and Conor Turbitt proved the aces in the orchard county pack through their point-scoring skills while Rory Grugan and skipper Aidan Forker did much to keep the home side in the picture.

Conor Grimes, Ciaran Downey and Sam Mulroy were all on target for Louth in the closing stages but Mulroy was unfortunate to miscue from a last-gasp 45 which had he converted would have given his side a share of the spoils.

Armagh: B Hughes; P Burns, C Higgins, P McGrane; B McCambridge, G McCabe, A Forker (0-1); B Crealey, C Mackin; C O’Neill, R Grugan (0-2, one free), J McElroy; S Campbell (0-3), C Turbitt (0-5, four frees), O Conaty (0-1). Subs: S McPartlan for Higgins (47 mins), J Og Burns for McCambridge (53), J Hall for McCabe (66). J Duffy for Forker (72).

Louth: N McDonnell; D McKenny, D Campbell (0-1), P Lynch; C Lennon, A Williams, C Murphy; C Early, T Durnin (0-1); P Matthews (0-1), C Keenan (0-1), C Grimes (0-1); R Burns (0-1), S Mulroy (0-3, three frees), C Downey (0-2). Subs: L Grey for Murphy (38 mins), Murphy for Grey (43), C McCaul for Early (54), D McKeown for Burns (63), W Campbell for Matthews (68).

Referee: Thomas Murphy (Galway).

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